Very bad deal
- Joined: Sep 9th, 2007
- Posts: 4
Review of Lush
I was living in Wudaokou for 2 years and keep going there once a while and I can say that this place is really the worst place in the area. Fortunately now there more places around, like La Bamba and Helen's. Reasons:
1.Price: completely overpriced. Currently and before. In 2006 a burger cost 25RMB, now it costs 45RMB. How is that possible? Just inflation? I don't think so. On an average inflation of 5% (now inflation for meat is 10% yes, but 2008 and 2009 it was negative) over the last 5 years the price should be now 30RMB. Imported ingridients? In 2006 USD was 8.3RMB/USD and now it is 6.3RMB/USD, so it should be cheaper for Lush to buy imported ingridients!!! Maybe their purchasing people is not so good....
2.Atmosphere: only for Americans. Quiz nights just for American topics, American food and enviroment (except for the poor English of their waitress). But still about prices, I don't understand why Americans are willing to pay more for the same food they have back home....
3.Empathy: have Lush realized how is Wudaokou changing? With the mess we have in our home countries more and more poor foreigners are coming to China to study Chinese but Lush still offers high prices. Euro and USD are not the same as before but their prices keep going up making for us foreigners harder and harder to afford their food and drinks.
4.Competitors: apparently some other businessmen they saw the chance given by Lush and oppened quite a lot of new bars and restaurants in the area. La Bamba and Helen's are great places, with the same food as Lush but with great deals every day. 15RMB small Qingdao bottle in Lush and at the same time 50m. away in La Bamba 5RMB draft beer. Want to know more? Go to La Bamba.
Dear Lush managers: your bar is in Wudaokou, foreigners there have little money. Basic rule for business is to have empathy with the customers. I strongly recommend you the following:
-Review your price policy.
-Not focus only in Americans: remember when Koreans left Wudaokou after the Korean Won fall 30% in 2008. USD looks to be following the way,....If not, in the mid-term your bar will be full of rich Chinese and no foreigners (the real rich people in Wudaokou) or you will end up same as O2 bookstore.
Until you change that, I will keep going to La Bamba and Helen's.
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PetePete
Re: Very bad deal
honestly I agree lush is kinda lame, with its kinda depressing green walls, but you can't compare the burgers at Lush with helens and labamba (which has great mexican) but those burger taste cheap b/c they are.
But I do say as a bar Helens and Labamba is way more fun for sure!
but if I want a burger i normally go to little branch.
Artagnan
Re: Very bad deal
Ever heard of capitalism, supply and demand?
Lush seems to be run by a clever guy or it is not that bad since you seem to come back despite your criticism.
Ikari1337
Re: Very bad deal
Supply and demand?
La Bamba is always full and i don't see they rise prices.
Propaganda the same, and they went down 70RMB to 50RMB in their Wednesdays free flow nights.
I guess La Bamba and Propaganda prefer comunism and Lush capitalism....Well, I am capitalist but I think Lush is far away from the supply and demand equilibrium.
PetePete
Re: Very bad deal
I personally do not enjoy Lush but i do not hate it, it has its crowd and i am glad they go there instead of coming to helens and labamba and making it lamer.
zz320
Re: Very bad deal
The BASIC RULE OF BUSINESS IS NOT EMPATHY, IT IS TO MAKE MONEY
It sucks, I agree but you gotta understand they are here to make money. Period. if thats by selling one hamburger a day for 20,000 yuan, then so be it. its by selling a few at 45, thats good too. if you dont like it dont buy it.
merri0
Re: Very bad deal
Full disclosure: I adore the people behind Lush so I'm not going to be able to respond with perfect objectivity. That said, here we go:
1- Price. Yeah, Lush charges pretty high for its location. In my opinion, the price is an (unfortunate) byproduct of its commitment to quality. I've eaten at La Bamba and Helen's; I've also felt like sh*t after eating at La Bamba and Helen's. I'm willing to pay east side prices for food that is of equal or superior quality to similar establishments on the east side of town, and unequivocally better than anything in the area.
FYI, there are several weekly deals there that put them on par with the drink deals that go on elsewhere at places like Propaganda. Oh, and the alcohol at Lush is real.
2- Atmosphere. Disagree. The one thing you can't throw at Lush is exclusivity. They're friendly to everyone and anyone who walks into the doors provided they aren't there to be a-holes. And even when people ARE a-holes, they are usually welcomed back at least a second time (I have a shoot on sight policy, but that's why my job doesn't involve interacting with people).
3- Empathy. Um, see above.
4- Competitors. I think Lush isn't looking to compete with La Bamba and Helen's. The latter are establishments that only wind up competing with one another in order to be the low-priced area spot. Lush has been that (see: 7 years ago) and clearly isn't interested in being that anymore.
Lastly, Petepete: lame people? Seriously? You frequent La Bamba and Helen's. I can just as easily turn around and tell you that you're a loser for living/working/spending frequent time in Wudaokou. Most people doing their thing in Dongcheng and Chaoyang certainly wouldn't hesitate to do so. You want to criticize the Lush vibe, do it, but there's no reason to diss the people who enjoy themselves at a fairly well-run establishment.
zz320
Re: Very bad deal
Why do you kids hang out at Wudoukou anyways.
There are so many better bars and clubs in Sanlitun and Chaoyangpark. the good thing is half of them don't even charge entrance(some do but if you get there early for a stamp!, your good)
Nanluguxiang has alot better bars and is so much more chill. the prices are about the same but at least I know the alcohol is real.
MY ADVICE TO ALL FOREIGN STUDENTS. PLEASE EXPLORE THE CITY. Wudoukou is like so whatever. the food is crap. there are so much better food. try something chinese for god's sake. don't complain how hamburgers are 40 when you can get a whole peking duck for like 90. can feed like 3 people (30 each)
for people on a budget. blue frog has a 2 for 1 special (85 for two) and the den is always 40