Al Kasars

leigh_bristol,

You hit the nail on the head. More businesses attract more footfall so hopefully they all gain. I must say the inside square of Al Kasars does look very bland & perhaps uninviting to me but that is just my opinion.

SD

Leigh_bristol - I hope you get a positive answer. It makes me wonder how many other great opportunities have been turned down and had to walk away. It would be fabulous to see Al Kasar fully operational and buzzing like it should be. Please keep us up to date with your plans. We are over Easter time if you want signatures to support you I'd be very happy to sign up.

Suntanneddude - have you not been to Al Kasar in the summer months especially the festival season? it's full, it's busy and there's a great atmosphere if only it could be like that for longer I'm sure others would be encouraged to open.

I hope those who want to open units there do get the chance soon - we will support you!!

Claire,

This will be our first season, so no not yet but we are looking forward to it!

SD

 The American Diner's progress is going to plan and will be open for your summer holidays. 

 

Claire,

Thanks for your support its good to know some people are of the same opinion, we are still waiting to hear from the banks the real reasons and see if we can sort something out - if not we will have to seek legal advise

We will keep you posted, have a good time over there - we wish we could be there too !

 

This is the banks answer to why we are unable to do what we wanted to do !!! Have a read and let us know what you think !

Dear Leigh,

 

During the last year I have been maintaining several meetings and conversations with many owners where among other questions they ask IRM as landlords of the Al Kasar to preserve their businesses not renting more units dedicated to coffe bars & restaurants, because in their opinion and I agree with them, there are already too many units dedicated to that and there is not enough business for everybody especially on the low season. As you may understand we have to protect the interest of the current rental, and not introduce another business that it is not going to be successful.

On the other hand, the unit where the former proshop was, had never used any terrace and this space is being used by the Bulgarian. It is not only a question of the current restaurant, this is a unit of 850 sqm and this is the only place where he can put a terrace.

 

 

OUR ANSWER TO THIS IS :-

We have heard there is only ONE business that feels this way as others have had no such meetings with the banks (IRM) there isnt another unit with the same idea we had we werent a bar or a restaurant !! We had no plans to sell alcohol or restaurant food.  The other ideas we had planned to run from the unit where also not currently on Condado so we would have been providing additional services for the community that arent already there !

As for the terrace, this is not a genuine reason as WE ASKED THE QUESTION IN JULY "who's is the terrace" and we were told its ours and it was written in to the contract for the business as well as in all the other business units contracts that the land is communial but meant for the sole use of the leasee of the unit.

Leigh_bristol

I think it should be up to the residents on the complex, not the greedy businesses who dont want others to take their money, they just want to get bigger and not let other people on their to make their living or let al kasars thrive as it should. This will never happen whilst the big businesses continue to stop the little ones

Ive heard theres already alot of back stabbing between businesses so maybe you are better off out of that environment as it doesnt sound too nice when you hear businesses are trying to stitch each other up instead of all trying to help each other and make it better for us all !

IT seems to me the banks are here to Hinder us rather than help us, they are doing there best to ruin the golf course at the moment and i would like to know why , the golf society have done a great job keeping our course alive by bring new members and golf comps 3 times a wk , but yet they still have to battle with the banks for support ,

We are a gated community , and surely have a right to say what units we want in the al Kazar, we as owners have invested a lot of money in buying our apartments so why should we be dictated too,

Keep fighting for what you said you were promised Leigh, maybe if you can get enough support from the owners you might get your unit , but i wouldn't hold your breath

Dave

This message was last edited by clairehdp on 26/03/2013.

Leigh Bristol - thanks for sharing your letter with us. I think it's sad that the banks seem to be listening to the business owners - we are owners and have never been asked what we would like to see at Al Kasar. I would love to see a beautiful bakers with fresh bread and wonderful pastries serving fabulous coffee and cupcakes. A pizzeria who would deliver freshly baked pizza and garlic bread to me on my terrace after a long day out at the beach. It would be great if our Indian food was from a restaurant on the complex instead of spending our money in Camposol. If Al Kasar just opened some small units with a diverse selection of bars and restaurants it would keep a lot of the money spent in the development instead of many of us going outside of the gates with our euros. Just because its not in condado doesn't mean we don't spend it just means we take our Euros elsewhere. Lets have a superb grill restaurant, a wonderful bakery, a great little Thai place, a seafood grill, an Indian, a pizzeria and lets keep the euros in the complex. We eat out most nights and because of the limit of choice within condado we take our Euros elsewhere. Can't they see that if you open a great restaurant that people outside of condado will come too. Even though I have my own washing machine and probably don't have much use for a laundrette I would come in with a load just to support you!

Shame we won't be able to sample the American diner but we will most definitely be there in the summer!

I am hoping the restaurants that are already open have upped their game as we have had very good to pretty awful in each one. Competition is good for everyone so come on let's get those units open and get Al Kasar buzzing for more than just the summer months.

Good luck to all who are wanting to open a business there. If you are successful I, for one, will support you!

This message was last edited by clairehdp on 26/03/2013.

The banks are right up to a point, there isn't sufficient foot fall to maintain any more foody outlets in the Al Kasar except in the very high season and that is not enough to make the investment worth while. Ask yourself the question, if there was a business case for more, then we would have already seen an Indian or Chinese restaurant or takeaway by now as those guys can definately spot a sure fire business opportunity and make it work.

Still not clear on what you wanted to open Leigh? But a launderette?!!

Until there are more residents, which means more properties being built on CDA, which means a property boom, then the Al Kasar will not expand further especially if it retains its current function and purpose. Should the banks decide to vary the leases and encourage seasonal trade where we could bring in temporary businesses to cater for the high demand, then not much more will happen. However, the Spanish (IRM) do not like being challenged and are not open to suggestion, they seem to be much more willing to go to the wall before change is inevitable. e.g Polaris.

As far as turf wars amongst the existing businesses - yes that is going on at the moment. Witnessed some of it ourselves last week. Those people who have taken the gamble in establishing their businesses are quite rightly very protective of their investments, but greed is a big motivational factor in business, after all people tend to run  a business to make profit not for other more altruistic reasons.

What would I use over an above what is already there? A high quality restaurant which is why I was excited about the potential of the French restaurant but I understand there are problems there now. A chemist and cash machine. A unit that provides hairdressing, nail and other cosmetic services together with healthcare services like massage would do a bomb in my view. There are already people on site providing these services but I am sure they could expand into these units if the circumstances and contracts were more flexible and user friendly.

Come on IRM - look at the bigger picture and not just your balance sheet which must be frightening at the moment.

 

What problems is the French restaurant having Faulky?

The frogs legs keep kicking the peas off the plates!

Dakey

:)

Can't really elaborate as it would be gossip but I understand the builders who were doing the work have abandoned ship!

Hi,

Yes part of the unit was going to be a laundrette based around helping the key holders out but we could also cater for the home owners - we also had a couple more ideas no point going in to now, of which there were no existing businesses doing what we had planned, and there probably wont be unless the big businesses get our ideas and do it themselves

You said about the businesses expanding doing hair, nails etc the trouble is they cant afford to becuase IRM want too much in rent the smallest unit is 6500 euros rent and in excess of 10,000 to set up from the shell they give you

You also said a bout a chemist, one set up in Hacienda and has now closed due to lack of trade

Realistically its only food and drink that makes the money and therefore profit - probably the Chinese and Indian restaurants dont want to come to Condado due to the high rents and the reputation it has of being a back biting set of businesses and not a community feeling where competition is looked on as healthy and a way to ensure you look after your customers which from some of the replies on here doesnt seem to be happening

We totally agree IRM should review the situation and offer some seasonal rents to encourage businesses to go there to supply services for the high season to encourage people to stay on site however their greed along with some of the big businesses is obviously too great to prevent this from happening

Just seen the post about the golf

Why does IRM want to charge so much they are forcing people out of the golf ?  So is it correct you have to become a member of all 6 ? Is it down to pure greed or are there other reasons seems there is a lot happening on Condado relating to the banks which we as residents dont have control over, surely we should get a say in to what units we want and shouldnt have to pay through the nose to use the golf facilities at our resorts

leigh_bristol - is there any news from the banks on your business ? we think its disgusting what seems to be happening on Condado/Al Kasars where the banks are being controlled by the businesses

 is the resort a better place since the banks have taken over, my answer would have to be yes so lets not be too critical. They need to up there game as far as the golf is concerned and hopefully they will as no doubt they are getting allot of flack regading the lakes and golf priing.

The banks have done nothing but get money for the units so they havent done anything to help us its just a business and any other company/group would have done the same so they havent done us any favours. Other groups may not have been so greedy as the banks which would have encouraged more units to try Al Kasars as they would most likely have been a reasonable price

The season at Condado is very very short as you all know so to charge a full years rent at the prices they are is putting alot of people off and now you arent allowed to do the businesses you want only the ones they and the other existing businesses want you to makes  its an even worse position and its the residents that loose out as they dont get the choice of businesses to try

Have you had any dealings with IRM ? We have and our experience from this is they are holding Al Kasars back instead of developing it and we have written proof of this but people dont seem to be interested. This is a real shame as it does affect EVERYONE ON CONDADO

 

 Stil a better place I'm afraid. I agree if a private individual or company took chrge then things would probably be better but id didn't happen and as an owner I'm far happier than I was 2-3 years ago.