What pretentious businesses have you come across?
Discussion
ClaphamGT3 said:
'milk' in Balham.... Got rushed £18 for two coffees and a bacon sandwich, presumably because it was on sourdough with South Downs butter and honey and the coffee came with a little post card to 'explain' it's flavour, this makes it alright
I had a similar experience in Scotland on Sunday morning. The only place open for a bacon butty and coffee was a Hipster eco-cafe.Obligatory beard, man-bun, slip-on-shoes-with-no-socks wearing owner, and a fine selection of fair trade "artisan" coffees. It was good quality, very tasty, and we had a bit of a laugh with the guy, but £30 for two coffees, two "hand-smoked air-cured, organic bacon on brioche rolls, with a hydroponically grown, beef tomato garnish" and two slices of cake to takeaway, did sting a little bit.
Followed a white Transit type van advertising kitchen refurbs or something similar. At the bottom of the van it said that they worked in London, Paris and New York! However underneath that it stated that is was mainly Dudley.
Started pretentious but turned to a sense of humour.
I would loved to have contacted them and said I needed work done on my New York apartment.
Started pretentious but turned to a sense of humour.
I would loved to have contacted them and said I needed work done on my New York apartment.
Aston Traveller said:
Followed a white Transit type van advertising kitchen refurbs or something similar. At the bottom of the van it said that they worked in London, Paris and New York! However underneath that it stated that is was mainly Dudley.
Started pretentious but turned to a sense of humour.
I would loved to have contacted them and said I needed work done on my New York apartment.
I've seen that firm before!Started pretentious but turned to a sense of humour.
I would loved to have contacted them and said I needed work done on my New York apartment.
Always makes me laugh.
http://sheeshrestaurant.co.uk/
Kebab house for cut price celebs and X factor drop outs.
Chilli sawce guvna?
Kebab house for cut price celebs and X factor drop outs.
Chilli sawce guvna?
Ian974 said:
Not a business as such, but an article in speedhunters refered to the likes of Ariel, radical, ginetta and even exo kit cars as manufacturers of "boutique Sports cars" 
Are you sure it wasn't "Boutique manufacturers of sports cars"? A bit pretentious still, but a more common usage.The big problem is the love of "The Brand". Management love The Brand. Marketing love The Brand. They masturbate over their brand. They masturbate together in the toilets with their brand. There's a lot of masturbation over The Brand. That makes them a load of Masturbators.
I remember walking into my local BMW showroom wanting a brochure and price list and all the salespeople were busy. I was approached by a shirt who introduced himself as Chris* the "BMW Brand Ambassador". From that point I instantly thought W A N K. I want a car to be good to drive and fit for my needs. If that is a w
ky brand then so be it. But car companies are now more interested in The Brand (and finance) to the point that selling cars is a major major inconvenience.
A lot of small entrepreneurs aren't creating businesses to be successful. They are more interested in creating brands they can franchise or sell on.
I remember walking into my local BMW showroom wanting a brochure and price list and all the salespeople were busy. I was approached by a shirt who introduced himself as Chris* the "BMW Brand Ambassador". From that point I instantly thought W A N K. I want a car to be good to drive and fit for my needs. If that is a w
ky brand then so be it. But car companies are now more interested in The Brand (and finance) to the point that selling cars is a major major inconvenience.A lot of small entrepreneurs aren't creating businesses to be successful. They are more interested in creating brands they can franchise or sell on.
- or whatever his name was.
vikingaero said:
But car companies are now more interested in The Brand (and finance) to the point that selling cars is a major major inconvenience.
A lot of small entrepreneurs aren't creating businesses to be successful. They are more interested in creating brands they can franchise or sell on.
Because a good number of rich/affluent people (and far more so - those who WISH they were rich/affluent and want to pretend to be) want to show-off their 'lifestyle' as much as anything - it's the middle-class disease of the 21st century - the modern equivalent of "look at my wad" (google it Millenials! A lot of small entrepreneurs aren't creating businesses to be successful. They are more interested in creating brands they can franchise or sell on.
), just in a slightly more subtle way. Veblen goods, in other words...If you haven't got a brand to sell them, these people will just walk straight past as you're not part of their aspirational, look-at-me lifestyle. (Caution: Sentences may contain marketing-babble)
Driving a Honda or a Skoda just doesn't cut it anymore. Wearing a Citizen or a Casio is desperately uncool. Getting your filter coffee and bacon bap from the corner-caff for £5 is so working-class. Far better to spend more money on less substance, as long as you're seen to be doing it.
Almost any café, restaurant, pub or bar in St Ives.
The town is stuffed with egos, self-importance and pomposity.
There are roughly 2 or 3 places which are worth visiting where you will find honest, good and genuinely local food, friendly service and reasonable prices but the rest of them have taken the word 'pretentious' as their whole reason for existing!
The town is stuffed with egos, self-importance and pomposity.
There are roughly 2 or 3 places which are worth visiting where you will find honest, good and genuinely local food, friendly service and reasonable prices but the rest of them have taken the word 'pretentious' as their whole reason for existing!
ReaperCushions said:
24 quid for a lamb kebab is more of a shocker.
my uncle took me to this place about 10 years ago. Really rank outside and walked thru to basically this corrugated steel roof tin shed with benches. Around the outside there where these open grill fires with different 'restaurants' doing kebabs thru to curries. inside it was full of normal Pakistani, Indian and brummy people. We ate the best kebabs and curries I have had in my life all for around 5 pounds. (adjusted for inflation).it is sad people pay extortionate amounts to taste food they can get at any proper cook house.
The Spruce goose said:
my uncle took me to this place about 10 years ago. Really rank outside and walked thru to basically this corrugated steel roof tin shed with benches. Around the outside there where these open grill fires with different 'restaurants' doing kebabs thru to curries. inside it was full of normal Pakistani, Indian and brummy people. We ate the best kebabs and curries I have had in my life all for around 5 pounds. (adjusted for inflation).
it is sad people pay extortionate amounts to taste food they can get at any proper cook house.
Cook house?it is sad people pay extortionate amounts to taste food they can get at any proper cook house.
ReaperCushions said:
http://sheeshrestaurant.co.uk/
Kebab house for cut price celebs and X factor drop outs.
Chilli sawce guvna?
Would you say that to the man mountain of an owner though? Kebab house for cut price celebs and X factor drop outs.
Chilli sawce guvna?
HTP99 said:
Nespresso "Boutiques", basically a shop in London that sells coffee pods.
I have a Nespresso machine and I love it, however the whole process of buying the pods is pretty pretentious from the website and the descriptions of the cofee and other products that can be purchased, to the "boutiques", which are staffed by people who look, sound and and act like a film caricature of staff who work in a designer clothes shop in Monacao; accents inclued.
I work 5 minutes from the one in Piccadilly .. It's actually saving me money as each time I go in there they give me a free black coffee I have a Nespresso machine and I love it, however the whole process of buying the pods is pretty pretentious from the website and the descriptions of the cofee and other products that can be purchased, to the "boutiques", which are staffed by people who look, sound and and act like a film caricature of staff who work in a designer clothes shop in Monacao; accents inclued.
Oakey said:
ReaperCushions said:
http://sheeshrestaurant.co.uk/
Kebab house for cut price celebs and X factor drop outs.
Chilli sawce guvna?
Would you say that to the man mountain of an owner though? Kebab house for cut price celebs and X factor drop outs.
Chilli sawce guvna?
arfur said:
Apple
Not bad products, but I can't stand Apple shops.I nipped into one on the offchance of picking up some rubber feet for my old laptop and was told I was supposed to make an appointment but he would fit me into his schedule although it was a terrible inconvenience.
He's not a doctor, he's not a solicitor. I make appointments when I need to see them. To buy some laptop parts? f
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