SO THERE I was, standing in the Somerfield checkout queue, when the phone rings. “I’m gonna f*** you,” says a voice. Now, as it happens – you may not be totally surprised about this – it’s not the first time I’ve had a threatening phone call, so I wasn’t all that bothered. “Who is this?” I said. “You’ve always had it in for me,” said the mystery caller. “You and your little blog, you c***. I’m gonna sue you.”
After a few more servings of abuse, I finally worked out who it was. “Is this Frank Dowling?” I said, incredulously. It was. Frank, for those of you not aware of him, is the American businessman who now owns roughly half the pubs and restaurants in central Greenwich, including the Trafalgar Tavern, the Spread Eagle, the Admiral Hardy, the Coach and Horses, the Bar du Musee, the George delicatessen, the Greenwich Park Bar & Grill, the Inc Bar, the (now-closed, and not even slightly missed) Lani Tiki Lounge – plus a whole load of concept outlets at that shrine to high catering, the 02.
You can’t tell their ownership from their names – they’ve kept their original titles. But you can tell, if you’re a regular Greenwich eater, from their almost universal mediocrity. As I said in the March 2008 Evening Standard review which cemented my very special relationship with Frank, “none is exactly bad, but all are somehow dispiriting. The food is not disastrous, but it is bland. Both it and the staff seem interchangeable between ‘outlets.'” This verdict was described as “absolutely correct” by the leading London restaurant critics and publishers of Harden’s Guides, Richard and Peter Harden, on their blog.
But though Frank’s grub may not be all that good, he’s certainly a better class of nuisance caller than my usual kind. They normally tend to be assorted scrotes that I’ve turned over in print somewhere or other, not local multi-millionaire businessmen. I pointed this out to Frank and said I was a bit surprised at his behaviour.
The cause of the latest food-fight was a column I did for greenwich.co.uk about three weeks ago, listing the local restaurants and takeaways which had failed the council’s hygiene awards inspection – meaning, in the council’s words, that they were “not up to standard” for cleanliness.
Among them were three of Frank’s – the Coach and Horses in the Market, plus Inc Brasserie and Union Square at the 02. I highlighted them – along with Rhodes Bakery, the local branch of the Prezzo chain and three non-Frank pubs, the Mitre, the Richard I and the Gipsy Moth – as well-known places which charge quite fancy prices but which have all failed the hygiene test. I didn’t make a special feature of Dowling’s emporia – I even pointed out that his one halfway decent restaurant, the Spread Eagle, had passed the inspection. But if you are Frank Dowling, I suppose you have good reason to be sensitive about your coverage.
The phone call ended with Frank promising to sue and demanding the documentation for my story. I pointed out that the piece contained a link to the council’s food hygiene awards report, which is carried on its website.
Two and a half weeks on, I’m still waiting for the writ, though I did get another couple of kindly texts from the great entrepeneur saying: “Why don’t you go away. You have no clue about real people, real lives. You seek to destroy everything you touch…I got something for you. I will send you a picture of it when it’s done. You will love it.” Still no sign of that, either – and I can’t wait to see what form the “something” will take.
Maybe it’ll be a repeat of a threat made during one of our previous spats, when Dowling said he would ban me from all his properties. I did point out that this was perhaps not the most spine-chilling prospect for a person who has publicly written that he would rather eat in McDonalds than any of the Dowling establishments.
Rather than ringing up and ranting at me, Frank, the best way to stop people attacking your empire is to raise standards a bit. And until you do, I’ll go on knocking you, from time to time.
Lawsuits land like punches, i.e. you don’t see them coming and the execution is always stronger than the threat.
Fascinating article.
The Inc empire is about on par with Greenwich Hospital in its aim to suck the life and character out of Greenwich.
One time in Bar Du Musee I was told that this long established wine bar had “run out of wine”
I like tiki bars but Lani Tiki Bar was so far off the mark it was like it was put together by somebody who had read about them but never put a foot inside one before. Greenwich Bar and Grill is OK if you can’t get to Gatwick or Heathrow for that airport bar experience (though it does lack the runway views)
In general I have nothing against Inc except that it is a very mundane chain with pretentions
If Frank reads this blog (and I’m sure he does), please do something about what was The Cricketers (the now defunct Tiki bar).
It used to be a really nice, proper pub with live jazz / ska on a Sunday – now it’s just sitting there as an empty shell.
With it’s location, right next to the market, it must be a money spinner. Why not reopen it as a traditional pub serving good quality beer and wine , with some simple pub grub? I bet it would do really well..
“I got something for you. I will send you a picture of it when it’s done. You will love it.”
Be sure to post it up here when it arrives. I can barely contain my impatience to see it. What can it be – let’s run a sweepstake – “Gilligan” tattoo-ed on FD’s posterior, perhaps?
Admittedly my palate isn’t the most sophisticated in the world, but I will just chip in and say I’ve always liked Bar Du Musee !
To be honest the only person sucking the life out of Greenwich is Andrew Gilligan. Good to see that he is supporting local traders by shopping in Sommerfield, that well known local business!
Is this man ever happy, to be honest if I was unhappy with a place as much as he was I would move, Do wish he would!
Well said Rob Powell and Bob Redhead.
I’m not quite sure what the point of this article is.
Would it be more acceptable if all the places listed by Gilligan were owned by a British businessman? Would it be better if they were owned by a national or international corporation? Why not close them all down and turn them all into All Bar Ones or Starbucks or the like?
So what if their owner is American?
I’ve not been in all the places listed, but the Trafalgar, the Coach and Horses, the Bar Du Musée and St George’s deli are all nice places to go for a drink or a coffee.
And as for taking the moral high ground about these and other decent Greenwich venues: if only everybody had the same reputation for professional excellence as Andrew Gilligan.
It’s not as if he brought the BBC to its knees because of professional irregularities and then helped to land London with its current moron of a mayor by waging a shamelessly partisan campaign against the previous incumbent in the pages Evening Standard, is it?
Missed point error, Bob Redhead. What are you doing to ensure that local restaurants are safe places to eat (even The Fat Duck’s reputation did not save its clients from being poisoned by sewage-contaminated oysters)?
What you are doing to support local traders and preserve the character of Greenwich? Where were you, when Andrew and friends were standing for more than three hours in the baking sun in their own free time (a Sunday afternoon) talking to people in Greenwich and gathering (in the end) nearly 900 signed formal letters of objection to the demolition of the market? I bet you were watching tv in your pants with a beer in your hand.
I’d be interested to know Bob Redhead’s ip!
I’m no fan of Boris.But he hasn’t ruined any of Greenwich’s institutions that I know if.
The Spreadeagle, with a wonderful, dusty, 30s, 50s and Victorian interior, replaced with a veneered MDF fake Victorian interior. Bar du musée, a pokey, charming location, now a huge, over-extended greenhouse (don’t know why they extended it, because it’s always empty). Admiral Hardy, a cosy pub with good food, now another dump.
As for the Trafalgar, a meal I suffered there one year ago is definitely the worst I had in the last decade; I walked back alongside the Thames wondering whether I should put my fingers down my throat to rid myself of the rank taste. He’s also ruined the upstairs interior of the place. Why Frank is bothering to buy these venues when he obviously has no real interest in, or flair for, the restaurant business is a mystery to me.
As far as I can tell, given by the numbers eating in the restaurant section of the Trafalger last time I was there (around 8 or 12 people on a Saturday night), most people share the opinion that the quality of the food has plummeted.
“It’s not as if he brought the BBC to its knees because of professional irregularities and then helped to land London with its current moron of a mayor by waging a shamelessly partisan campaign against the previous incumbent in the pages Evening Standard, is it?”
Errrr hello, I think Mr Gilligan was far too professional for the government’s liking. As for the Stnadard getting rid of Ken, well I think the voters of London can probably make up their own minds about wh to vote for.
As for the Inc bars and resturants. The Spread Eagle is very good and the rest are just dull.
Easy to throw stones but my view is that Greenwich Inc. provides value in a market that people (locals) demand excellence but are unwilling to pay for. Neither are the tourists (majority clientele). “Food” for thought: if it wasn’t for Frank Dowling’s hard work and substantial investment over the past 10 years, the majority of these venues would be closed by now and we’d have a Tennessee Chicken in town instead or even more drunks in the town centre late at night. Finally, remind me what competency Greenwich Council has in it’s view about hygiene with it’s own schools failing? Frankly (ha ha), the Greenwich Inc. venues I go to often as a local are always spotless. OK Frank, let us (and Andrew) in the kitchens for an “open house” and our own “look see” and we’ll decide ourselves?
“provides value in a market”. Nice to see an honest, disinterested punter’s view.
If Frank put as much effort into delivering good food (and alcohol) , as he does in accumulating premises, Greenwich would be a much better place. I for one would welcome an improvement in the rather pathetic restaurant line-up, with only Inside and the Rivington (and Ginza on Trafalgar Rd) providing decent cuisine.
Curtis – you argue that Frank provides “value” and only the level of quality that we stingy old locals are willing to pay for. (This is precisely the same argument as he’s used to me, by the way – could you possibly know each other?)
But one of the reasons I object to Frank’s places is that as well as being no good they are often pretty expensive, too. Union Square – one of the places that failed its hygiene exam – charges up to £26 for a single main course. You can get three courses of infinitely better food at the area’s best restaurant, Inside, for as little as £15.95.
One fascinating lesson from the hygiene reports is that there is not a clear relationship between an establishment’s prices and its cleanliness. To take a non-Frank example: Rhodes Bakery – FAIL; Greggs – PASS. We shouldn’t always be taken in by glossy surfaces and elaborate pricing.
Trouble with Frank’s places is they flatter to deceive. Curtis is right on one point – the venues are on the main well kept externally and internally and tend to try maintain some sympathy with the surrounding environment (Lan Tiki excepted). But that’s where the disappointment perhaps also kicks in for the Greenwich local – they don’t look like a chain but the food and the drinks and the service are chain bog-standard. If they all had Inc Group pizza/burger/whatever we’d know where we stand. Except we do know where we stand – its not for us SE10 types, its for the tourists and if it keeps the local economy ticking along, students in jobs, and the premises in good nick maybe that enough to be asking and we can all go to our personal hidden gems like Inside ot the Guildford or wherever and feel slightly smug about how we’re not being suckered.
I used to have a real rage against Inc after being fooled into a couple of mediocre experiences when new venues popped up – now I treat them for my needs: a quiet pint at the end of the market day at the Coach and Horses is pretty pleasant; a burger at Jimmy Monaco’s in the O2 before a gig is not going to be akin to making a pact with the devil.
Much as we’d all like the centre of Greenwich to resemble Ludlow or Southwold with rosy cheeked restauranters offering the best in seasonal and local produce, we’re going to have to put up with the pack’em in cheap brigade as we live in a tourist hotspot – and there are far greater sinners in terms of offerings in Central Greenwich than what the local Mr Big offers up.
My own local failed the tests too, but the guy who runs the kitchen there’s almost universally adored. It’s tough to know quite what to read into those figures.
That said, Frank’s venues have sucked the life out of Greenwich town centre, which never had a brilliant nightlife in the first place. (That said, the Trafalgar Tavern’s original owners started it off by taking over the Admiral Hardy about a decade agao and turning it into the terrible try-hard crap we know and don’t love now.) The destruction of The Cricketers is something I don’t think he’ll ever be forgiven for.
I’d agree with Darryl that the loss of The Cricketers is very hard to take, especially when the subsequent offerings have been so awful.
When a single business owns such a high proportion of the pubs and restaurants in the area, this dominant position is open to abuse and manipulation. There’s not a huge amount of choice if you’re not keen on the Inc recipe. It also creates a very serious problem for the town centre should something go wrong with the business or Mr Dowling pulls out in a hurry.
Unfortunately it’s part of a steady trend of the commercial aspect of Greenwich becoming more bland. Some people will say that these businesses are more viable than those that were here 15 years ago, but as a resident they seem less interesting and engaging.
Oh dear I seem to have struck a nerve! In response to the comment by Indigo (at least give yourself a real name)
Firstly its not my job to make sure places are safe to eat, thats what the council does! And as far as i can see they have doing a good job. Have eaten in most of the restaurants and still here to tell the story. Fancy trying the Fat Duck sometime too!
In terms of supporting the local traders I am spending money in the town which I believe is the traditional way of supporting the traders. Can organise a group hug as well but not sure that will be of much use.
If i was standing with you that would mean i agree with you, which I don’t. Which is why i wasn’t there. Hope you got a good tan though!
And as for pants in front of the TV, mmmm nice idea but tend to go commando these days! Especially when watching University Challenge
ps Tom, if I knew how to find my IP address I would tell you but that would make me a geek and I have more interesting things to do. Its a shame that this normally excellent website is degenerating into discussions about where people live, Glaisher Street by the way, anyway off to spend some money in the town!
Whilst I can appreciate Franks venues may not suit all tastes and it is very disappointing to learn of failed hygene tests, I have to commend his marketing manager Mr Delon Edwards for going the extra mile and saving the day for my Greenwich BNI networking group last week.
With only 1day’s notice Bar du Musee was opened up for our convenience at 6.30am, food bought, staff laid on and 20 breakfasts served and at a reasonable price. In contrast, Devonport House despite our regular weekly custom was declared unavailable at very short notice – apparently it had received a more important client! Devonport House 0 – Bar du Musse 1
@Bob Redhead on September 16th, 2009 7:22 pm
“Oh dear I seem to have struck a nerve! In response to the comment by Indigo (at least give yourself a real name)”
What, like “The Greenwich Phantom”, “Guido Fawkes”, “The Wandering Scribe”, “JonnyB”, “Non-Working Monkey”? Er, I think not. People who know me well know who Indigo is.
Anyone missing a parrot? We have one in our apple tree, just off the Park.
Contact 020 8853 4971
Hi Roger… I asked on Twitter too, hope its reunited with the owner. A couple of people suggested it might be a wild parakeet?
Hi, Rob Thanks for that. It’s certainly a parrot. It alerted us to its presence by saying “hello” a couple of times!.
Parrot update, just in case anyone is interested. It returned to our apple trees this morning and stripped them of remaining fruit. Despite much pleading, it refused to speak. Spotted at 6.20 this evening at tree-top height on east side of the Park. Dark green with flash of red, and quite a chunky bird compared with the sleek, fast-flying parakeets. Looked much at ease. Perhaps a new resident?
Hi Roger – thanks for the update. Someone on Twitter noticed the parrot’s appearance coincided with International Talk Like A Pirate Day(!)
http://www.talklikeapirate.com/
Someone has posted about their lost parrot on Gumtree, with photo
http://www.gumtree.com/london/66/43555266.html
That one (lost in Harrow last month) knows her name, Tia. Does the parrot in your apple tree have a leg ring? Sometimes parrots are trained to say their address.
I have no particular axe to grind with Greenwich Inc, but sadly have found that two things stand out in any of their outlets that I have visited – very poor service from staff who have no interest in the job, and dull food. This is however a common complaint for many bars and restaurants in Greenwich which rely almost exclusively on Tourists rather than local residents. But when Frank Dowling has invested so much I cannot understand why his company does not try harder or are they simply not interested either. Better service from friendly helpful staff and higher quality food and drink would surely improve the bottom line of Greenwich Inc as well as the experience for tourists and persuade more locals through the front door.
Bar du Musee used to have an excellent wine list- now it’s merely average at best
I have done the only thing that I can- I go elsewhere ! Inside, The Rivington and the Guildford all offer excellent food and wine, whilst pubs like the Pelton Arms, Richard 1st and the Ashburnham Arms all offer what a pub should.
As for the sorry saga of The Cricketers, I dread to think how much money has been spent on it’s latest incarnations (Powder Monkey, W Lounge, Lani Tiki bar) all of which have struggled. Frank-any chance of The Cricketers making a return appearance ?
Having been a member of INC staff in various outlets I think it’s fair to say that customer service is, in a word, deplorable. I’d also say that this is largely due to appalling staff provision offered by a host of incompetent managers accross the board. As a waitress in the o2 I was regularly verbally abused, sworn at, subject to many safety hazards, habitually kept overtime without pay, and, when I finally did up and quit, was grossly underpaid for my troubles. Being exposed to this on a daily basis does eventually affect the old ‘service with a smile’ mantra. Raan restaurant was particularly bad for this. Staff are seen as purely dispensible, rather than individuals.
In agreement with many others, it’s sad to see Greenwich be stripped of any individuality. Surely the market’s due for a revamp soon- any ideas Frank?
We looked at hiring the upstairs room for a private party last summer. As locals wanting something affordable and lcoal this looked alright and the location was ideal. That was until we tried the food which has truly awful. When I found out that the same owner (Inc Group) had many other bars in Greenwich I was disappointed because I’d been in most of them and I realised all were similar. Similar in terms of quality. No wonder I’m always complaining to friends that there’s nowhere decent to eat in Greenwich! Thankfully we now have the newly refurbished Guildford – decent grub, nice independent feel to it. I hope it thrives.
I’d like to say, as someone who used to work for Inc. that the lack of enthusiasm from staff probably stems from the fact that they are paid next to nothing, often paid the wrong amount (always less than they were expecting) and sometimes they are told that their cheques wont be coming when they were expected and that no definite time has been set for this (the problem extends to managers who are in no better position than the rest of the staff). This happened to me several times and you can imagine all of the financial trouble it got me…
Also, training is non-existent. Most of the time, if you ask what something on the menu is, or how to describe it, no-body really knows. If you spend time ‘going the extra mile’ for a customer… you are causing a massive inconvenience and will probably be chastised for it. The prices ar crazy and there’s no way to express how much abuse staff get from customers about this.
I can’t speak for all of the venues, but those I’d seen were similar.
If Frank wants to make his business work well, this is a great place to start. If you encourage people to cut corners to make a little bit more money (which is never invested back into the company) then your staff will choose not to make any real effort lest this turns out to be the wrong thing to do anyway.
It’s of no surprise to hear the comments made in this forum. I have lived in the Pan Peninsula building that is home to Tompkins and the attic bar for over 2 years and have watched the quality ans service deteriorate while the prices increase. If you ask any resident or even the suffering staff who don’t get paid correctly or on time they will all admit that Tompkins is a disaster. Only recently did they decide to change all the furniture from contemporary smart decor to ill fitting “granny flat” chairs and sofa’s making the place look as chaotic and uncharacteristic as the management. Frank, if you read this, isn’t it time you went back to cement mixing and leave the restaurant business alone – you obviously have no clue as to what the custmer wants.