Show of hands, please.......

[parrotheaddiver]

Thanks all, for your responses.....keep going, I want to hear it. As for me, for the record, we visited for a week at the end of August, we stayed at a rental house in the West End and toured the island from East to West.

Reason why I'm asking the question, is that we bought a bar/restaurant in the West End. Was (still am) trying to gauge how often resort guests venture out (if they do) and what it'd take to get them to do so....

Ok to be honest I have been going to Roatan for 20 years and in the last 5 when I have gone I haven't ventured out away from CCV much....I did this past summer go to West End on Friday since I was with some newbies that wanted to "shop"....I was glad to see that not much had changed since the last time I visited there....CCV does offer the trip to west end on Friday and a "night out" to eat at Gio's and they will also arrange anything you want to do off the property...but I get so lazy once I am there I cannot get the energy to do anything else when I am not diving

You may want to contact some of the resorts and see if you can put flyers at the resorts around the island for people who do want to venture out for an evening I will try and make a point when I am there next June to stop by if I can pry myself out of the hammock

 

[michael.boysen]

We have visited twice Across from Anthony's Key ( where we stayed) is a nature park you can hike up the hills for a spectacular view and there are all kinds of plants and creatures to see. My sons and I rented moto cross ( forget the scooters) from a place in West end. Toured right to the end of the dirt track at the far end of the Island and then all the way back to the other end. It was a real treat. Make sure you fill them up or they knick you for the gas but other than that it was real simple to rent

 

[Snappahead]

LOL....we'll see about doing that (the flyer idea). I understand after a full day of diving, you may not have the energy to do anything but hang out. I know there's a lot to do in the West End, but I didn't think "shopping" qualified....I didn't see much to buy when I was out and about.

If you do manage to pry yourself out of your hammock, we'll be there, Foster's West End (formerly Foster's Bar and Restaurant)--and by June, we should have the restaurant (i.e. food) going.

If any locals would like to chime in on what they'd like to see in a new bar/restaurant, I'm all ears.

 

[Doc]

Of all you folks that have visited Roatan, how many of you managed to leave your respective resort and tour the island? visit the West End or West Bay?

That was a "hard to word question", I think.

Of the visitors who are not staying at guest houses that dot the West End, of those staying in lodgings not located on the West End?

Of that group....

In that category, I would bet that 90% of the people that come to Roatan will visit the West End at one point.

- Many return visitors to Roatan only do that once in their history of trips.

- Most go on their off-gassing day (Friday), altho some "take a midweek break" on Tuesday.

- A very few combine a visit to Coxen Hole town as well as a visit to West End.

- Many seasoned "shoppers" recognize that the great majority of the goods for sale are Guatemalan imports.

- Visits to the restaurants are highly attractive and worthy of a try, but most reputations have suffered due to spotty service and inconsistent food quality. Any resorts East of Coxen Hole are likely drawn (inexplicably but for well-intended recommendations) to Geos and Romeos. Both are up-scale, quality restaurants that one might well find in Ohio. In these two unique Roatan restaurants, many visitors misinterpret the leisurely island pace of service as ineptitude, it is more reflective of dining being an island entertainment experience.

- The Bars of the West End are not currently a big draw for vacationers in the stated category.

How can you entice visitors to leave the comfortable resort surroundings and venture out to your establishment?

That's an entirely different question.

Be unique, be fun, keep quality consistent. Understand that North Americans want service at a pace they are used to. Be rustic in appearance, but be spotlessly clean. Arrange a transportation deal with the resort's regular drivers, offer a deal to booked parties from resorts. Keep prices high enough to keep the clientele the way you want it.

 

[Snappahead]

That was a "hard to word question", I think.

Of the visitors who are not staying at guest houses that dot the West End, of those staying in lodgings not located on the West End?

Of that group....

In that category, I would bet that 90% of the people that come to Roatan will visit the West End at one point.

- Many return visitors to Roatan only do that once in their history of trips.

- Most go on their off-gassing day (Friday), altho some "take a midweek break" on Tuesday.

- A very few combine a visit to Coxen Hole town as well as a visit to West End.

- Many seasoned "shoppers" recognize that the great majority of the goods for sale are Guatemalan imports.

- Visits to the restaurants are highly attractive and worthy of a try, but most reputations have suffered due to spotty service and inconsistent food quality. Any resorts East of Coxen Hole are likely drawn (inexplicably but for well-intended recommendations) to Geos and Romeos. Both are up-scale, quality restaurants that one might well find in Ohio. In these two unique Roatan restaurants, many visitors misinterpret the leisurely island pace of service as ineptitude, it is more reflective of dining being an island entertainment experience.

- The Bars of the West End are not currently a big draw for vacationers in the stated category.

How can you entice visitors to leave the comfortable resort surroundings and venture out to your establishment?

That's an entirely different question.

Be unique, be fun, keep quality consistent. Understand that North Americans want service at a pace they are used to. Be rustic in appearance, but be spotlessly clean. Arrange a transportation deal with the resort's regular drivers, offer a deal to booked parties from resorts. Keep prices high enough to keep the clientele the way you want it.

LOL...all covered under our current plans. We need to get you a hobby, RoatanMan...or maybe just diving some more.....you make a good point, I'd like to see more of the demographics of the typical resort diver (i.e. CCV or FIBR). The 30's-40's crowd that I've spoken with seem to want more of a "night life" whereas the over 40's crowd typically opts for something more mellow. As for the food, Foster's West End will have good food, but we won't be "upscale"--I'm not moving to paradise to live in a restaurant kitchen.

 

[RTBDiver]

I'm not moving to paradise to.........

This may be the best part of your post. It is amazing the number of people that start a business figuring it will be a fun part time job that supports them living a resort lifestyle.
Please do not be offended but so many open businesses and people love them, they are busy but in the end they realize they are losing money. So many never have a real business plan or and business education. Doesn't matter if you have a thousand patrons of any business a week if your not covering costs. No idea what was paid for the place and do not care but i do know with what the price must have been that you best have someone with degrees in business management, restarant management as well as being very competent in spanish and have an excelllent labot lawyer on hand




Your just not going to pull many from other parts of the island on regular basis. I have stayed on Guanaja, Done the aggressor, and when I wanted to buy a place and was searching properties I picked cheap comfy and was at Arco Iris. That one Arco iris trip I might have stopped by but one thing that will be an issue is that almost all resort people do not rent cars and have no transportation. Many will be worried about getting to and from an area at night and do not think any resort with their own bar will want to promote a trip elswhere and offer cab service for no cost.
I do hope your business plan does not require people from other areas. Many rental home folks will have ways around but when things are normal business and busy and the west end road is colsed in places to through traffic and there is no parking then how can you ask for people even with rental cars to come visit? This is a reason Plaza Mar grocery has been so popular with some expats, THEY HAVE easy access and parking. Where will those even with rental cars park if they try to visit your place? What will keep them from saying "screw it" and park anyplace they can an visit whatever is closest at the time?
Just a few thoughts, Good luck.

 

[Doc]

LOL...all covered under our current plans. We need to get you a hobby, RoatanMan...or maybe just diving some more.....

I just did a 25 dive string ending Friday Oct 2nd.

to that point, exactly....

Many divers select AI resorts and have absolutely no desire to do anything that would get in the way of the dive-dive-dive mentality.

As for the food, Foster's West End will have good food, but we won't be "upscale"...

"Good food" will be indeed the point. Not many have hit that mark on Roatan to date, not with any consistency.

I think that your specific geographic market might best draw from one end at West Bay and the other end at the North/West side resorts such as IoLR, AKR and BIBR.

........................

Roatan is changing, places are getting "closer together"... But the comparatively few divers that are served by the South side resorts, their upper income demographics aside, are likely not worth pursuing due to the AI choice as well as their physical remoteness.

 

[Snappahead]

RTBDiver, you mean I can't scuba dive and tan on the beach while my customers serve themselves drinks? DAMN!!! and I'm gonna quit my 15 hour a day banking job? No worries, I'll just hire someone to manage the place and pay 'em with my magic money tree!

Seriously, no worries, I have a Master's in Business, so I have just enough knowledge to be dangerous. You bring up good points with people worrying about getting back to their resorts (I know I'd be one) --we are toying with the idea of a regularly schedule water taxi along the green axis mentioned above by RoatanMan above) to shuttle people back and forth. Our business plan doesn't rely on bringing anyone but local foot traffic. In fact, the previous owner basically ran a bar with limited hours with a "manager" who, uh, "ran" the place and still managed to book a tidy little profit.

As for parking etc.....we considered it, but weren't overly concerned when we went to the place on a Friday night, the place was PACKED and nary a car to be seen.

To RoatanMan's point, we will strive for good food--although we know getting some of the basics will be a challenge. That said, if I'm not comfortable with the quality of our food, I'll temporarily pull it from the menu.

Anyway, keep the thoughts coming. Appreciating the input, especially yours, RoatanMan.

 

[Lorenzoid]

What "resort"? Not much to see? Oh boy....here it comes.......

Holy dramatics, Batman ... I just meant that I myself chose not to stay at a resort, as there are other lodging options for independent, economy-minded folks. If I had known the reason for your question, I might not have bothered mentioning this, as you're apparently taking a poll of people who stayed at resorts and want to know how many venture into town. As for my comment about "not much to see," I've seen a lot of Caribbean and Central America, both in economy mode and All-Inclusive mode, and I just didn't think that Roatan was all that interesting an island. Maybe I just didn't spend enough time there to get to know it. I did enjoy the West End, and for all I know spent time at the bar you just bought, but next time I'd be just as happy to stay at a resort, spend most of my time there and be pampered. Congratulations and good luck! Roatan diving is very very good.

 

[Snappahead]

LOL, Lorenzoid, I wasn't talking about ME....I'm referring to the other denizens of this particular forum.....