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2025: General Discussion
- Thread starter Craig
- Start date
owenstreet7
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Taron
I'm honestly surprised that Merlin bought in Tortilla at Chessington for 2023. They're a nationwide chain similar to Nandos but with Mexican food.
jon81uk
TS Member
Tortilla was probably a franchise, so may still have been run in-house. They likely were experimenting to see if franchising was a better option or not.
Also quite different to Nando's as Tortilla is most fast-food style service not served on plates to your table like Nando's. Also Nando's UK run all their own restaurants, they don't franchise.
Bowser
TS Member
By fast food standards it's good though and has some "healthy" options. Plus you get food brought to your table so that's another plus.
No, that award goes to Wagamama. Their ramen reminds me of when I used to have fish tank and had to suck the siphon tube to drain the water out on a water change day.
Burner
TS Member
Their Saku Saku Duck Soba is pretty banging tbf
Benzin
TS Member
In most restaurants that's a given.
Understand you mean it as more of a bonus over the self service nature of many of the eateries at Towers though. Though nowadays with QR codes and online menus/apps even going up to the till/bar to order is going out of fashion.
I quite like Coke Zero, better than the diet pish that gets served in other places.
owenstreet7
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Taron
I think that's the difference between Coke Zero and Pepsi Max.
One is drinkable and the other is not very nice and doesn't taste like the regular Pepsi. I wish KFC realise that there's a lot of people who don't like Pepsi Max.
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
Each to their own, but I love Pepsi Max and would easily call it my favourite of the cola-style drinks! Coke Zero is perfectly OK and I’ll drink it, but I prefer Diet Coke and much prefer Diet Pepsi or Pepsi Max.
I admittedly say that from a position of perhaps controversially not liking full-fat Coca-Cola or Pepsi and much preferring their diet equivalents, however.
On a more on-topic note, I think the reason why Towers and other establishments don’t offer full-sugar drinks anymore is because of the sugar tax. I’m not sure I necessarily agree with full-sugar being removed en masse rather than just having the price put up, but that’s the way it is.
I admittedly say that from a position of perhaps controversially not liking full-fat Coca-Cola or Pepsi and much preferring their diet equivalents, however.
On a more on-topic note, I think the reason why Towers and other establishments don’t offer full-sugar drinks anymore is because of the sugar tax. I’m not sure I necessarily agree with full-sugar being removed en masse rather than just having the price put up, but that’s the way it is.
Not to dwell too much on this but personally I think coke zero tastes awful and it forces me to order the full fat version if there is still that option. Pepsi max on the other hand tastes great and means I will avoid the full fat version. This seems to be the same opinion of everyone i speak to so I'm not sure where the view has come from that there are a lot of people who don't like pepsi max. Obviously having the choice would be better but unfortunately places only serve one or the other.
James
TS Founding Member
We need a Pepsi vs Coca-Cola thread.
I'm personally team #PepsiMax.
Franchised outlets making a return doesn't bother me. They just need to ensure a range of good-quality food across the park. As I've said before, I think food is very inconsistent across Alton Towers. Aramark is capable of some good food, but for whatever reason, this is not consistent.
I'm personally team #PepsiMax.Franchised outlets making a return doesn't bother me. They just need to ensure a range of good-quality food across the park. As I've said before, I think food is very inconsistent across Alton Towers. Aramark is capable of some good food, but for whatever reason, this is not consistent.
Bert2theSpark
TS Member
Personally I think Merlin made a mistake using Coca-Cola as their brand partner, because Pepsi Max and Starbucks taste way better than Coca-Cola Zero and Costa…
Quality assurance - knowing you'll get what you expect - is what brands are all about. Last time at Woodcutters, it was £20 for a plate of not very much, poor quality stuff. Any high street chain would have been so much better, and a table service (almost for Nando's) means you stay longer, spend more, and aren't in a queue for a ride. Win, win, win.
Since the theme park doesn't have to charge outrageous high-street rents, it comes down to opportunity cost. Merlin could maybe make 25% of £80 on my 3-person lunch - instead they make 80% of £0. It's a no-brainer - look at TP; KFC packed, everywhere else a little less so.
Since the theme park doesn't have to charge outrageous high-street rents, it comes down to opportunity cost. Merlin could maybe make 25% of £80 on my 3-person lunch - instead they make 80% of £0. It's a no-brainer - look at TP; KFC packed, everywhere else a little less so.