• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Towers Loving Care

I think it varies, quite a lot of people with young kids eat earlier, it could make money I reckon bearing in mind how busy that McDonald's gets!
 
When I visit Towers with my kids we tend to eat at 1, although I'm aware most families go even earlier. If I'm on my own, I won't even think about lunch until past 2.

But I feel this has gone way off topic now.
 
[quote uid=3189 name="matthewgcole" post=184125] Turfing everyone out at half 4 on an empty stomach is madness.[/QUOTE]<br />What are you talking about? At half four you can still taste your lunch!

The towers food outlets like Explorers are still pretty busy past 2 for lunch. I doubt anyone would be <i>that </i>hungry leaving the park at 4.30.

But people SHOULDN'T be leaving the park at half 4 in the first place,.but that's a different debate about the parks current outrageous opening hours
 
If they sold bacon rolls for say £3 then I'd buy one in the morning. Or bacon and egg for 3.50..... Or maybe a deal with a coffee for a fiver. I reckon they'd be flying off the shelves

Again I'm pretty sure when Towers Restaurant still had the canteen counters it sold breakfast sandwiches for about £3.
 
[quote uid=3189 name="matthewgcole" post=184125] .

But people SHOULDN'T be leaving the park at half 4 in the first place,.but that's a different debate about the parks current outrageous opening hours

I never said they should :)

I just didn't agree that people leaving at 4.30 would be leaving "on empty stomachs".
 
I just miss the carvery from Towers Restaurant. :(

I always thought carvery was a great idea for that restaurant, but we were just never in the right part of the park at the right time to go there. I can see why they see it more of a priority to have Pizza/Pasta and Woodcutters open on quiet days. But it is a shame that the new menu is basically the same at Woodcutters and Towers St.
 
Problem now is that given the much reduced opening times, people are not going to want to sit down for long in a restaurant to eat. Time is precious so are people really going to waste a valuable hour of their day sat down to eat? I agree with Slugjc above, a carvery doesnt really belong in the park.
 
Gonna put it out there. But a cavery doesn't belong in a park. Hotels yes, on the park. No.

Why not? Whats the difference between chicken, ribs fries and coleslaw at Woodcutters or roast pork, potatos and veg? They are both whole plates of food.

I get that some people don't want to stop and eat a full meal and for that there is Burger Kitchen, Fried Chicken, Hot Dogs, Sandwiches and more. Or for those who want to sit down properly with plated food there is Rollercoaster Restaurant, Woodcutters, Pizza/Pasta and Towers St. But Towers St basically has the same menu as Woodcutters, why not add some variety!
 
Problem is in UK theme parks these days, most people just want to guzzle down food at lunch and then see as many attractions as possible in their day.

It doesn't help either when sit down restaurants such as Crossed Ribs, Duplo Buffet and others are shut down to be replaced by quick service places. But unfortunately this seems the norm for our main parks currently (with the hotels being a possible exception).

Most of the parks I've been to abroad have at least one 'experience' restaurant in the park, where the food in some cases is almost secondary. Whether that be Rutmoore's Tavern at Phantasialand, Polle's Kitchen at Efteling or Food Loop at Europa Park. Then again we do have the Coaster restaurant in Towers.

I think acceptable opening hours for Towere be these (and a park of its size)
Weekdays 10-5 (with ERT at 9 and breakfast served)
Weekends 10-6 (same rules apply)
Summer 9:30-7 (ERT and breakfast served from 8:30)

Halloween and Fire works can stay as they are (except three for the latter).
 
Why not? Whats the difference between chicken, ribs fries and coleslaw at Woodcutters or roast pork, potatos and veg? They are both whole plates of food.

I get that some people don't want to stop and eat a full meal and for that there is Burger Kitchen, Fried Chicken, Hot Dogs, Sandwiches and more. Or for those who want to sit down properly with plated food there is Rollercoaster Restaurant, Woodcutters, Pizza/Pasta and Towers St. But Towers St basically has the same menu as Woodcutters, why not add some variety!


Caverys are for lazy days where you gauge away, wash up and fall asleep in front of the Tele. I agree there needs to be more variety. But personally whilst I'm riding nemmy and the like. I don't want a belly full of dried meat and veg.
 
Problem is in UK theme parks these days, most people just want to guzzle down food at lunch and then see as many attractions as possible in their day.

Yet Alton Towers has more restaurants with china plates in the park (four now) than it did ten years ago, Ritas Ribs opened 2007, Explorers Pizza opened 2009, Rollercoaster Restaurant opened 2016. Therefore it seems like there is more demand for sitting down to eat properly than there was 10-20 years ago when the only option not in cardboard or plastic packaging was Towers St.

Caverys are for lazy days where you gauge away, wash up and fall asleep in front of the Tele. I agree there needs to be more variety. But personally whilst I'm riding nemmy and the like. I don't want a belly full of dried meat and veg.

Lets just say each to their own then. I often go to Explorers and then have a belly full of pizza while riding Duel :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Suppose it is. I don't eat alot on park. Snack here and there eat on way home. Mostly due to cost, but mostly because you get better elsewhere nearby. I can see why people do though.
 
Gonna put it out there. But a cavery doesn't belong in a park. Hotels yes, on the park. No.
Caverys are for lazy days where you gauge away, wash up and fall asleep in front of the Tele. I agree there needs to be more variety. But personally whilst I'm riding nemmy and the like. I don't want a belly full of dried meat and veg.
Suppose it is. I don't eat alot on park. Snack here and there eat on way home. Mostly due to cost, but mostly because you get better elsewhere nearby. I can see why people do though.

You're 1 person out of how many million that visit Towers each year?

Different strokes for different folks, there's a reason why the "proper" restuarants in the park are always packed out, and that's because a lot of people DO want a proper meal. A carvery is an ideal option to go with the other choices.

The restuarant itself suffers from location, which again comes down to the lack of interesting things in the Towers Street area, coming full circle here. Although I would argue with the addition of CBeebs Land that it's ideally placed for families to have a proper meal.

What would work even more in it's favour is if they kept it open a bit later after park hours, similar to Food Loop in FV. I bet loads of people would love a carvery at teatime before setting off home.

Money on the table, Merlin. Money on the table. Just sayin.
 
Hey its a personal opinion. I think a cavery would be badly out of place within the park itself. Like I've said above, I think in the hotels it would work. You are right people may want before they leave. But I can drive past various pubs on the way back that would more then likely do it cheaper and better, in more relaxed way for those aching park limbs.

I understand fully that I am a small voice in a big wide world. This is a forum. Bloody boring if we all agreed. Like you say 1 in a million.
 
Towers Street is a sitting gold mine. It's beyond me why they can't see this. If the whole area operated an hour each side of park opening, and if Towers Street Restaurant was refitted with a nice bar and carvery and was another option for hotel guests for evening meal, the retailer in me says it would be a winner.
 
Top