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Food and Beverage 2016

Depending on how the start of the season goes I would imagine that there is a chance that outlets such as Courtyard BBQ may open for the summer. Most of what they serve is similar to what can be found elsewhere on park, and they could just replace lattice fries with bog standard fries if they need to open it quickly.

Towers Street Bar & Grill is closed until the summer already though. Here is a list of places where you can get a proper sit down meal (i.e. hot meal not cafe location for quick sandwich) at Towers this weekend:
  • Woodcutters
  • Pizza & Pasta Buffet
  • Burger Kitchen CCL
  • Fried Chicken Co
And a list of sit down outlets that closed since last opening day:
  • Courtyard Tavern BBQ
  • Towers Street Bar & Grill
  • Fresh Fish and Chips
  • Mexican Cantina
I know that Rollercoaster Restaurant opens in May which will help things, as will Towers Street Bar & Grill opening in the summer. But for these first couple of months, even if the park is dead, options are very limited.

:)
 
Depending on how the start of the season goes I would imagine that there is a chance that outlets such as Courtyard BBQ may open for the summer. Most of what they serve is similar to what can be found elsewhere on park, and they could just replace lattice fries with bog standard fries if they need to open it quickly.

Towers Street Bar & Grill is closed until the summer already though. Here is a list of places where you can get a proper sit down meal (i.e. hot meal not cafe location for quick sandwich) at Towers this weekend:
  • Woodcutters
  • Pizza & Pasta Buffet
  • Burger Kitchen CCL
  • Fried Chicken Co
And a list of sit down outlets that closed since last opening day:
  • Courtyard Tavern BBQ
  • Towers Street Bar & Grill
  • Fresh Fish and Chips
  • Mexican Cantina
I know that Rollercoaster Restaurant opens in May which will help things, as will Towers Street Bar & Grill opening in the summer. But for these first couple of months, even if the park is dead, options are very limited.

:)

I would say that Courtyard BBQ isn't a proper sit down meal location any more than Burger Kitchen is in Mutiny Bay. :)

I assume its easier for them to buy for all three Burger Kitchen outlets which all need the same ingredients, whereas Courtyard had a different menu. You can still get a burger in Mutiny Bay currently, just from BK not the BBQ.

Towers St bar & grill being closed in the quieter period is OK as long as Woodcutters is open, they have very similar menus.
The strange one is them not re-opening Fish & Chips, there isn't anywhere else serving that sort of food really and I think its a popular option. Personally I think its a better fit in Mutiny Bay where the Burger Kitchen is currently.
 
I would say that Courtyard BBQ isn't a proper sit down meal location any more than Burger Kitchen is in Mutiny Bay. :)

I assume its easier for them to buy for all three Burger Kitchen outlets which all need the same ingredients, whereas Courtyard had a different menu. You can still get a burger in Mutiny Bay currently, just from BK not the BBQ.

Towers St bar & grill being closed in the quieter period is OK as long as Woodcutters is open, they have very similar menus.
The strange one is them not re-opening Fish & Chips, there isn't anywhere else serving that sort of food really and I think its a popular option. Personally I think its a better fit in Mutiny Bay where the Burger Kitchen is currently.
I know what you mean regarding Courtyard BBQ, but it did have a dedicated covered and heated seating area.

In terms of Fresh Fish and Chips, it has been replaced with the new Coffee Loungue. So it's gone from hot food option to a cafe option, essentially replacing Refresh@Ripsaw.

:)
 
I know what you mean regarding Courtyard BBQ, but it did have a dedicated covered and heated seating area.

In terms of Fresh Fish and Chips, it has been replaced with the new Coffee Loungue. So it's gone from hot food option to a cafe option, essentially replacing Refresh@Ripsaw.

:)

Yep, that still leaves the park short a Fish and Chips option. There is still Corner Cafe and Little Explorers Lunch Box for cold food options so I don't really think the new cafe is needed. But I guess with Rollercoaster Restaurant there is still hot food in Forbidden Valley. :)
 
Yep, that still leaves the park short a Fish and Chips option. There is still Corner Cafe and Little Explorers Lunch Box for cold food options so I don't really think the new cafe is needed. But I guess with Rollercoaster Restaurant there is still hot food in Forbidden Valley. :)
But those are both up the top of the park, by having something in Forbidden Valley, it allows visitors to have cold food without having to trek up to the other end of the park!
 
But those are both up the top of the park, by having something in Forbidden Valley, it allows visitors to have cold food without having to trek up to the other end of the park!
Hopefully the new cafe in Forbidden Valley offers Sandwiches and other cold food options...
 
They have the outdoors heaters there. So it didn't feel cold when we sat down to eat your meal, while being entertained by the pirate show.
You could tell who hadn't seen the show before as they would sit at the front and get soaked by the water, lol.
Hopefully they will open it later on in the season.
 
Fresh Fish and Chips was nearly always empty. A food offering like that would work better as a takeaway/grab and go outlet.

Converting it to a cafe is a better option since Refresh@Ripsaw has always been popular, although I'm not quite sure why they didn't keep Refresh@Ripsaw and just renamed it.
 
What are myself and little delta ment to do for lunch now, burger and the pirate show was part of every visit.

I hope they leave the outdoors heaters on so anyone with food from the food stalls around Mutiny Bay have somewhere warm and dry to eat it. and hopefully the pirate show with be on at select day though the season
 
I loved Courtyard BBQ, was a great place to sit and watch the pirate show and enjoy the nice food there. Was a nice little spot. Infact, had they put some sort of cover over the top of the courtyard (clear like the waterpark) it would make an excellent year round eatery.
 
I am glad I took food with me for myself and little delta, with the lack of food outlets there were queue longer that ones for some of the rides. we sat in the courtyard looking at the empty stage.
 
I am glad I took food with me for myself and little delta, with the lack of food outlets there were queue longer that ones for some of the rides. we sat in the courtyard looking at the empty stage.
It's absolutely stupid the amount of food outlets closed. I think towers are trying to starve us !
Maybe they think if we are that hungry we won't notice all the other stuff. Like closed / missing rides
 
I don't get Merlin. They seem to be all about the money but then they close loads of the things that make them money?

Closing all of the food outlets just discourages people from buying food and therefore loosing them money!
I would find it very surprising that many of the food outlets closed (especially the court yard) are not profitable. I can understand why Merlin would close rides to save money but how is this helping in any way? The incompetence of people high up in Merlin is seriously starting to show!
 
We wanted to buy food a few times today. However we were not going to eat at Burger Jitchen due to its prevalent quality issues. That left either Woodcutters or Fried Chicken as obvious alternatives now that Explorers is outrageously priced. The queues for both outlets stretched out of the door every time we walked past. Our money eventually got spent at Mcdonalds on the drive home as we didn't want to wait such a lovely big time for mediocre and overpriced food.

If the other outlets were open we probably would gave gone to somewhere like Courtyard BBQ or indeed the existing food outlets if the queues hadn't been artificially increased by closing other places.

All Merlin have achieved by closing outlets is aggravating customers and consequently losing revenue.
 
A lot of the complaints today on AT Facebook were from customers complaining about the length of time waiting for food with some waiting an hour in burger kitchen just to get served.

And this is a quiet day compared to the peak summer months.... god help them!
 
@AltonTowers I appreciate its busy but 1hr 20mins just to place an order?! and a further 15 for the food in a fast food place is a joke!!

Just one of the many similar complaints. And as someone had said it wasn't a busy day. Lord help us when it is. There will be queues from CCL to Towers Street for food.
 
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