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Jonny Wokkers Ideas
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By *tasia OP Couple
over a year ago
West Bromwich |
Having had numerous chats with Pascal this summer, about the future of this bar at Cap, I just wondered what the regular Fabbers would do with it?
There's a good chance it will be with new owners next year, I know its not working out for them as expected and they're looking for a buyer, but feel that not doing something different with it was an error.
If you had the premises...what would you do with it? Curious to see if anyone has an idea that may work! |
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There are a number of great bars in Cap such as La Pilouterie , 1664 , Maxines and the Bodega . The only complaint about Polouterie is that it is so successful that some nights it is difficult to get a seat .
If I owned a businnes, I do not think that I would be telling my customers that I was struggling ( especially if it was my intention was to sell as common sense would suggest that you would spin things in the most positive manner possible )
Two years is not really a long enough period to assess how your business will perform. Unless a market has changed dramatically you will need a period of ten to twenty years to obtain a return on your initial investment .
With regard to Jonny Wokkers , the location is poor and it ( the location ) does not have the same attraction for people watching as others bars such as Pilouterie or 1664 . Its target market is also limited ( this appears to be english speakers ( mainly UK residents ) . Not all UK visitors will want to visit an English speaking bar and I would guess that the fall in the value of the pound may make holidays abroad less attractive to some ( not withstanding the fact that this fall has made exports fro the UK a lot more competitive and any employee who is a member of a profit share scheme with a company who is an exporter ) is likely to receive a better bonus .
At last one bar / restaurant in Cap has built up a successful business from scratch . I have eaten one of the best steaks ever in there . However this bar / restaurant has a great view , themed soiree evenings ( including a form of speed dating ) , live music and friendly staff who always acknowledge you as you walk past .
With regard to Jonny Wokkers .
a. The downstairs area is probably too small to play live music but possibly upstairs on the decking .
b. Themed evenings
c. Provision of food .
d. Speed dating
The key question is how much you would have to invest and could you increase your customer base ( as there are already a number of very good bars in Cap )
I always found the pricing structure of drinks in this bar to be unusual . Jenny always charged me less for a drink than her husband did . ( even the lower price was still more expensive than Maxines or Bodega ) |
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Whatever changes anyone would make are limited by the size of the bar so it would be just tweaks rather than anything drastic.
I would agree that the music could be better. Maybe music clips on the TV rather than rolling news would be a start. However dancing would be almost impossible unless the bar was nearly empty which pretty much defeats the object.
I don't know enough about the structure of the building but, if possible, it could be an idea to try and open up the other room (up the steps) and try and make it more a part of the bar rather than, as it is now, a separate room.
A regular moan we have heard are the drinks prices. While they compare well to some of the bars in Cap it needs to be remembered that most of the others put on some form of entertainment.
For what is nothing more than a basic drinking bar we think it has got a bit expensive. Bodega bar for example is quite a bit cheaper AND puts on entertainment.
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It's tired and uninviting.
It catered to a niche English market - post Brexit it was always going to suffer from the downturn in uk visitors more than the other bars.
Agree with removing the side room and opening it up - upstairs should have been used for snack food - no point a la carte as good restaurants adjacent.
The fact that people smoked right inside the bar really annoyed me too.... And to be honest the new owners aren't a patch on their curmudgeonly predessors
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By *horty4Man
over a year ago
london |
ive been to Cap twice, i tried this place, dark, a bit tatty. its like a bad pub, but i guess some people like a taste of home when theyre away - each to their own.
you can still keep an 'english' theme if you must, G&Ts, decent bottled beers from uk micro breweries and some (low volume) UK sky sports but make it more trendy gastro or bar. if i want a quiet pint I'll stay at home. |
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By *eordiesCouple
over a year ago
newcastle |
Trade really picked up for the last few weeks of the season and Pascal and Cora (sp?) were very pleased with the upturn.
BUT as to how to improve it..............will be a struggle, the design of the place does not lend itself to much different from present.
However, the real issue is who, as of now, goes in there ? Mainly Brits and mainly Brits who have been going in there for years, ourselves included.
Therefore go back 15 - 20 years and the customers were late 30s, 40s and a few 50s. The same people have now aged. Now it's mainly mid 50s, 60s and some 70s. Which does not appeal to a younger crowd. Hence, the current customers, while deminishing in number may prevent the pub gaining new regulars.
Can't see an easy solution. |
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easy one ....move bar back make bigger..try decorating ....better seating ...better music ...lower prices...small food menu during day and early eve....make better use of terrace ...bbq evenings....live music every now and then....staff uniforms ...smile and welcome people ...all the following would help....or my favourite ....close it and open it as a pizza flora type of thing ,,,I know there are plenty but all make money ....or hows about a fish and chip shop xxx |
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By *tasia OP Couple
over a year ago
West Bromwich |
Just to pick up on a couple of points made, at no point did I say "struggling" I just said it wasn't for them. They saw it as a possible investment and it has proved very quickly not to be for them. As pointed out, they've had some cracking weeks this year.
I'd also been asked not to post anything until after the close of season....I think maybe as a way of putting the potential sale of the site out there amongst the English clientele. I do have their number if anyone's interested, lol.
I'd thought of a beach front BBQ area, typical Brit, beer belly, steaks, burgers, and traditional English bangers!  |
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By *ucianpoundCouple
over a year ago
Cap d’Agde, France |
I think that the main reason for Pascal and Cora trying to sell is personal.
Working 4pm to 2am everyday June to September has meant that they've missed out a lot on family time and they still have school aged kids.
They have done a lot to improve the business, rebuilt the terrace, rewired, new menus and have tried different drinks out as well as a tapas and oyster menus.
Sure a lot of the regular clients are ageing UK swingers but we have seen more French there this year as well as Dutch and Germans.
They have said how much they have liked and appreciated their Brit clients and indeed their beer sales have gone up on the previous year so they are doing something right.
However, seeing the exhaustion on their faces at the end of year and it's clear that this is not a long term proposition for them.
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By *tasia OP Couple
over a year ago
West Bromwich |
"I think that the main reason for Pascal and Cora trying to sell is personal.
Working 4pm to 2am everyday June to September has meant that they've missed out a lot on family time and they still have school aged kids.
They have done a lot to improve the business, rebuilt the terrace, rewired, new menus and have tried different drinks out as well as a tapas and oyster menus.
Sure a lot of the regular clients are ageing UK swingers but we have seen more French there this year as well as Dutch and Germans.
They have said how much they have liked and appreciated their Brit clients and indeed their beer sales have gone up on the previous year so they are doing something right.
However, seeing the exhaustion on their faces at the end of year and it's clear that this is not a long term proposition for them.
"
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"4 till 2am 10 hours a day from June till October.. ..sounds like a very good deal to me....when I work out how many hours a year I work xxx"
lol - I was scared to say that !!
It's not like they're out diggin ditches in winter lol |
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With reference to the two posts directly above this I was also surprised that the owners consider working from 4 pm to 2 am during the season to be hard work . If this is the case , it begs the question about how much research they did prior to purchasing the business . To run a successful business you probably need to be dedicated to it 24/7 and cannot afford to be counting the number of hours that you put into it .
It is difficult to see how serving drinks in a bar can be deemed to be hard work . Compare this to farmers who have to on call all the time to attend to animals and plant , attend to and harvest crops . Another example might be drivers in the haulage industry who on occasions will have 15 hour days .
On a personal level examples of work that I undertook during vacations and what I consider to be hard work are working 15 hour shifts in a bakery , relining acid tanks ( potentially dangerous ) , crawling into furnaces in a steelworks ( during the close down ) period via small trap doors to remove bricks ( some of which were still hot ) mixing cement and cleaning out filthy oil tanks where you had to walk inside them to remove thick layers of oil . One News Years eve I went to my normal job in the morning , then did a three hour drive and spent to mid night on New Years eve laying carpets .
More recently I have spend time clearing out a rat infested house and apart from having to remove all the contents ( including dead rats ) it was also necessary to remove all the loft insulation ( which is not a particularly pleasant material to handle )
I am at a slight loss as to how anyone who proposed to run a successful business could describe working from 16 00 to 2 am for a few months during the peak season as being hard work . ( especially as a considerable amount of the time would be spent talking to customers . |
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By *ucianpoundCouple
over a year ago
Cap d’Agde, France |
Well just to clarify
Come September Pascal and Cora were clearly exhausted.
Working in the pub 10 hours a day, 7 days a week for four months.
Plus all the additional hours that go into any business,
Plus their other business
Plus their young family to be organised
But reading various comments, it would seem that they've had the life of Riley.
So, maybe for some of you, this is a golden opportunity to buy a nice easy money spinner!
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I agree with the contributors who made the comments about price.
Lidl is a very successful business model. Offer value and you make a little profit on a lot of sales.
A further question is - what is the international target demographic, now that sterling is so devalued? How is that demographic reached in a marketing sense?
Also agree that the bar seems confused on what its basic demographic is. Either it is in the sexy bar market with dancing and so on or the sports bar market. It tries to be both, which really doesn't work. The football turns off half the clientele and the other half haven't much interest in the naughty dresses at least during the match.
Maximes and Boedega have cracked both issues. They understand customer price value and they have identified their domographic. That's why they thrive.
The issue for Pascal is - can a bar afford to be elite in price and approach in Cap? Can it stand not identifying a target audience and reaching them?
A further question is; with the intermittent rudeness history of the previous owners, what value has the Wookers brand? If of little value, it might do better with a new brand.
One thought though is that most pubs do some pub grub which keeps the early and late punters in place and buying drink.
I appreciate that there is not a smoking gun idea, but I think considering the fundamentals is more likely to yield a solution which is helpful.
One comment for Pascal is that one must not under-estimate the rate of change of the environment caused by the factors of Brexit, security issues and so forth. Three years ago I thought about investing in this business, but would be seriously reluctant now on the grounds of unquantifiable risks.
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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A French pal tells me a deal has been done.
It was listed on Century 21 site but I couldn't see it yesterday.
As for the comments about hard work, customer facing hours are not the whole story especially with other business in the portfolio and family commitments.
Renting it out could well be a very shrewd move.
Makes no difference to us as after years of patronage we were cheesed off once too often by the previous owners (who strangely are still around Port Ambonne) and now frequent bars with a better view and atmosphere. In fact Mrs wishes I had reached that conclusion years ago !!! |
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DERNIERS CHIFFRES CLÉS - JOHNNY WOKKERS
Clôture CA Résultat Effectif
31/03/2016 110 721 € -234 €
31/03/2015 96 825 € -1 574 € 1
31/03/2014 116 088 € 8 272 € 1
31/03/2013 111 704 € 16 778 € 1
ACTES DÉPOSÉS
Voir les 2 actes
The filed accounts . It made a loss for the last two years |
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2016 2015 2013 2012 2011
Chiffre d'affaires 110 721 96 825 111 704 103 111 91 321
Charges d'exploitation 112 573 105 013 92 777 99 822 91 276
Bénéfice ou Perte - 234 -1 574 16 778 3 310 28
Fonds propres 59 533 59 766 59 068 42 289 38 980
Immobilisations nettes 53 339 42 767 42 759 39 479 39 101
Trésorerie 13 788 19 441 26 752 13 852 4 623
Dettes financières 2 230 431 7 438 5 859 908
Total bilan 74 897 69 576 80 075 55 200 47 081
Frais financiers
Produits financiers 3 68 44 24
Salaires et charges 49 539 48 967 31 788 40 259 29 503
Nombre d'employés 1 1 2
Breakdown for last five years as published on a French website |
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By *eordiesCouple
over a year ago
newcastle |
" 2016 2015 2013 2012 2011
Chiffre d'affaires 110 721 96 825 111 704 103 111 91 321
Charges d'exploitation 112 573 105 013 92 777 99 822 91 276
Bénéfice ou Perte - 234 -1 574 16 778 3 310 28
Fonds propres 59 533 59 766 59 068 42 289 38 980
Immobilisations nettes 53 339 42 767 42 759 39 479 39 101
Trésorerie 13 788 19 441 26 752 13 852 4 623
Dettes financières 2 230 431 7 438 5 859 908
Total bilan 74 897 69 576 80 075 55 200 47 081
Frais financiers
Produits financiers 3 68 44 24
Salaires et charges 49 539 48 967 31 788 40 259 29 503
Nombre d'employés 1 1 2
Breakdown for last five years as published on a French website "
Think the layout makes it really hard to understand. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"DERNIERS CHIFFRES CLÉS - JOHNNY WOKKERS
Clôture CA Résultat Effectif
31/03/2016 110 721 € -234 €
31/03/2015 96 825 € -1 574 € 1
31/03/2014 116 088 € 8 272 € 1
31/03/2013 111 704 € 16 778 € 1
ACTES DÉPOSÉS
Voir les 2 actes
The filed accounts . It made a loss for the last two years "
There are many reasons for showing a loss. its standard practice for business.
I might be wrong but didn't the new terrace get built in 2015?
unless wood and labour is free this would account for a few euros . |
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"DERNIERS CHIFFRES CLÉS - JOHNNY WOKKERS
Clôture CA Résultat Effectif
31/03/2016 110 721 € -234 €
31/03/2015 96 825 € -1 574 € 1
31/03/2014 116 088 € 8 272 € 1
31/03/2013 111 704 € 16 778 € 1
ACTES DÉPOSÉS
Voir les 2 actes
The filed accounts . It made a loss for the last two years
There are many reasons for showing a loss. its standard practice for business.
I might be wrong but didn't the new terrace get built in 2015?
unless wood and labour is free this would account for a few euros ."
I would be surprised if it was standard practice for a business to show a loss . While there may be occasions where losses occur ( such as medical research companies and clinical trials where the payback period may be many years ) and either investing in or running a business would expect it to be profitable in the long term . If your business is consistently reporting a loss you risk triggering an investigation by the tax authorities and even an investigation of your accountant/ auditor .
You raise an interesting point about the cost of new decking . As this is a n item of capital expenditure, one would normally expect it to be capitalised over the useful life of the asset and a depreciation charge made to the accounts over the years concerned . The filed accounts disclose an increase in fixed assets ( as per the balance sheet ) of around 10,000 euros but there is insufficient information to ascertain the exact nature of the capital expenditure .
I am assuming that your post is indicating that the reported results of a company is dependent on how much is paid via way of directors salaries ( the level of which can be decided by directors )
The key issue might be what is included in the salaries and expenses figure of 49539 euros . A very rough calculation ( and after deducting French employment taxes ) indicates that the maximum which could be paid is 15 Euros per hour . This figure would be a lot less if the disclosed charge for salaries includes other expenses . My knowledge of French Accounting standards is insufficient to know . |
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Does anyone else think that it is wrong to be discussing someones private business in the forum of a swinger site?
While these figures may be in the public domain in France I think it is, at least, disrespectful to be going through the details (and making all sorts of assumptions) of them on here. |
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By *tasia OP Couple
over a year ago
West Bromwich |
"Does anyone else think that it is wrong to be discussing someones private business in the forum of a swinger site?
While these figures may be in the public domain in France I think it is, at least, disrespectful to be going through the details (and making all sorts of assumptions) of them on here. "
Totally agree. The aim of the thread was purely to chat about ideas for the location, size, hours etc of the premises, not to pull either current or previous owners to pieces. If anyone was looking to buy it, then surely they'd make their own investigations.  Lets get it back to topic. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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The topic sounded as if place was owned by the British people going there
.
Surely its a business not a public service.
My comment as always was in reply to fabs experts on everything.
I had a business and my point was some years I made more than others but it was not due to sales falling but business costs.
Also nearly every business does some creative accounting .just ask google or your local Chinese restaurant. |
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"Does anyone else think that it is wrong to be discussing someones private business in the forum of a swinger site?
While these figures may be in the public domain in France I think it is, at least, disrespectful to be going through the details (and making all sorts of assumptions) of them on here.
Totally agree. The aim of the thread was purely to chat about ideas for the location, size, hours etc of the premises, not to pull either current or previous owners to pieces. If anyone was looking to buy it, then surely they'd make their own investigations. Lets get it back to topic. "
I full agree that private business should not be discussed on a site such as this .( subject to the following provisions )
If someone owns a business and does not want any of their affairs made public , they should not be advising their customers that the business is for sale. ( discretion ) . In addition you would not incorporate the business as a limited company ( where it is a requirement that you file various statutory documents including accounts ) . Most people would be surprised if someone decides to sell a business after only owning it for a year
I cannot see any evidence that a single poster on this thread pulled either the current or previous owners to pieces . As a worst case scenario , various posters commented on both the layout of the bars and location .
If a post is to be constructive any meaningful post would need to be realistic about the costs involved in implementing an idea . |
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"How about a STD clinic."
An interesting idea especially as at least one club in the uk organises one . A review of the phone book for village naturiste does not show any STI clinics . The closest listing is a leaflet in Sauna Hamman for a private clinic a long way outside the village . Considering all the activity that takes place in Cap , one would have thought that there would be a clinic listed in the village .
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By *ucianpoundCouple
over a year ago
Cap d’Agde, France |
There is a very good STD clinic just down the road in Beziers, free of course, they all speak good English and give out free condoms.
We usually pay them our routine visit a couple of times each year. |
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By *eordiesCouple
over a year ago
newcastle |
"So have Pascal and Cora sold the bar ,does anybody know by who or what is happening to the bar this year. "
We heard that they had sold it. Only other details we have is that the new owners are banning all Welsh people, just in case. |
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"Not open yet work going on ...met new owner ...going for bar and tapas type of thing ...and had a happy smiley face "
Happy smiley face Not sure that will catch on..!!
Seriously, that's good news.
Is it a French owner...? |
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"Not open yet work going on ...met new owner ...going for bar and tapas type of thing ...and had a happy smiley face
Happy smiley face Not sure that will catch on..!!
Seriously, that's good news.
Is it a French owner...?"
When I walked past at Easter they were in the process of decorating it . The terrace had been put back in place. |
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By *onjourCouple
over a year ago
Essex |
hi All
Wokkers reopened on 26 April. The new owners are Miguel and Laurent. They are open from Midday to 1 or 2 AM,,seven days a week. The new decorations are complete. The TV is still there, but will only play French TV channels but to be fair, that is how it had been since September 2016. They now have a menu of food, including hot and cold dishes, and deserts. The minimum price for a pint remains at € 5.50 for Kronenburg, but Carlesburg has gone to €6.50. Warsteiner remains on the menu, but we forgot to look at the price.
The decorations have changed. The pictures have all gone, but there is a display of metal wall signs. The toilet can only be described as glitterball!
We had a bit of discussion about running a tab. Miguel and Laurent agreed that this was OK, providing they know your names. We asked whether they would be happy to keep it going for a week or two, and it was stated that this was OK.
Wi Fi is apparently still free, but we have not tested this claim.
We've saved this for last. The name will be changed, and they are waiting for the new sign. Wokkers is being rebranded as Ô2 BïZouX. Think Oxygen and Air Kisses! |
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By *eordiesCouple
over a year ago
newcastle |
"hi All
Wokkers reopened on 26 April. The new owners are Miguel and Laurent. They are open from Midday to 1 or 2 AM,,seven days a week. The new decorations are complete. The TV is still there, but will only play French TV channels but to be fair, that is how it had been since September 2016. They now have a menu of food, including hot and cold dishes, and deserts. The minimum price for a pint remains at € 5.50 for Kronenburg, but Carlesburg has gone to €6.50. Warsteiner remains on the menu, but we forgot to look at the price.
The decorations have changed. The pictures have all gone, but there is a display of metal wall signs. The toilet can only be described as glitterball!
We had a bit of discussion about running a tab. Miguel and Laurent agreed that this was OK, providing they know your names. We asked whether they would be happy to keep it going for a week or two, and it was stated that this was OK.
Wi Fi is apparently still free, but we have not tested this claim.
We've saved this for last. The name will be changed, and they are waiting for the new sign. Wokkers is being rebranded as Ô2 BïZouX. Think Oxygen and Air Kisses!"
It was easy in the old days to tell people "look out for Johnny Wokkers bar, we'll see you in there"
How the Hell will we say "look out for Ô2 BïZouX", don't know even how to pronounce it !!! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"hi All
Wokkers reopened on 26 April. The new owners are Miguel and Laurent. They are open from Midday to 1 or 2 AM,,seven days a week. The new decorations are complete. The TV is still there, but will only play French TV channels but to be fair, that is how it had been since September 2016. They now have a menu of food, including hot and cold dishes, and deserts. The minimum price for a pint remains at € 5.50 for Kronenburg, but Carlesburg has gone to €6.50. Warsteiner remains on the menu, but we forgot to look at the price.
The decorations have changed. The pictures have all gone, but there is a display of metal wall signs. The toilet can only be described as glitterball!
We had a bit of discussion about running a tab. Miguel and Laurent agreed that this was OK, providing they know your names. We asked whether they would be happy to keep it going for a week or two, and it was stated that this was OK.
Wi Fi is apparently still free, but we have not tested this claim.
We've saved this for last. The name will be changed, and they are waiting for the new sign. Wokkers is being rebranded as Ô2 BïZouX. Think Oxygen and Air Kisses!"
Ô2 BïZouX, we wonder if it means 'Au deux bisous' or 'the two kisses', its how we say hello in our region although three kisses is more perhaps common in the South. Just an idea - hi to all !
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Don't want to prejudge it but that's one pretentious name and a hell of a mouthful.
The place badly needed a change but the scope to do it right was always going to be limited by the small area and odd shape of the place. How it works out time will tell, I guess. |
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"Don't want to prejudge it but that's one pretentious name and a hell of a mouthful.
The place badly needed a change but the scope to do it right was always going to be limited by the small area and odd shape of the place. How it works out time will tell, I guess."
Jonny and Jenny made the place / the last owners were terrible in our opinion so it can only improve!!
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"so Jonny Wokkers is no more then.
i wonder how many years it will be before its not called jonny's anymore
Probably be called 'old Jonny's' forever!  "
More than likely.
A bar near us in Spain changed hands and name nearly 20 years ago yet some were still calling it by its old name until the day it closed 15 years later. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"... ah fuck it, tried to keep my mouth shut, but good riddance to Johnny and that trouser wearing woman keeping him under her thumb, she was all bubbly and nice, but septic as fuck. A facade. "
Not keen then |
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"... ah fuck it, tried to keep my mouth shut, but good riddance to Johnny and that trouser wearing woman keeping him under her thumb, she was all bubbly and nice, but septic as fuck. A facade.
Not keen then "
... been drinking in bars for more than 30 years, Johnny Wokkers is/was one of maybe ten that I'd never enter again out of principle. Having new owners is the best thing that ever happened to the place. |
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By *ucianpoundCouple
over a year ago
Cap d’Agde, France |
Understand where you're coming from, Johnnie was easy going but she was the one who kept the whole show on the road.
She could be really sharp and did appear rude but I think that had a lot to do with her culture.
I always thought that Jennie was half-cast, growing up in Scotland like that guy in "Porridge" but she was Thai or Malaysian and her accent was simply down to having lived with Johnnie for so long.
There's no doubt that running that bar as a couple is highly stressful but they did it successfully for years and I think that if she was a bit 'touchy' it was simply down to her worry about the affect it was having on Johnnies health. |
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"Understand where you're coming from, Johnnie was easy going but she was the one who kept the whole show on the road.
She could be really sharp and did appear rude but I think that had a lot to do with her culture.
I always thought that Jennie was half-cast, growing up in Scotland like that guy in "Porridge" but she was Thai or Malaysian and her accent was simply down to having lived with Johnnie for so long.
There's no doubt that running that bar as a couple is highly stressful but they did it successfully for years and I think that if she was a bit 'touchy' it was simply down to her worry about the affect it was having on Johnnies health."
Nice comment Luci, and I believe Malaysian, but don't treat fun loving d*unken people as assholes when they are trying to be social, in my book, or else don't run a bar.
' touchy ? ' ... she could be the devil incarnate. |
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"Understand where you're coming from, Johnnie was easy going but she was the one who kept the whole show on the road.
She could be really sharp and did appear rude but I think that had a lot to do with her culture.
I always thought that Jennie was half-cast, growing up in Scotland like that guy in "Porridge" but she was Thai or Malaysian and her accent was simply down to having lived with Johnnie for so long.
There's no doubt that running that bar as a couple is highly stressful but they did it successfully for years and I think that if she was a bit 'touchy' it was simply down to her worry about the affect it was having on Johnnies health.
Nice comment Luci, and I believe Malaysian, but don't treat fun loving d*unken people as assholes when they are trying to be social, in my book, or else don't run a bar.
' touchy ? ' ... she could be the devil incarnate."
Jenny was a darling actually - obviously her sense of humour passed over your head - or perhaps you have had a sense of humour by-pass...she also had a warm side for those who treated her with respect.
Either way we loved her attitude and jonnys last year wasn't a patch on what it was when those 2 were in charge
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By *ucianpoundCouple
over a year ago
Cap d’Agde, France |
problem is, is that there isn't another bar in the Cap quite like Johnnies (or whatever it's now called).
Quite a lot of the other bars will try and rip you off, especially if you'r not French, by small changing you or charging more, the missus took on the barman in 1664 last year who was being an arsehole to some English friends, she ended up getting an abject apology from him.
In our opinion, Johnnies was unique and despite the 'abruptness' from time to time it will be missed as it inevitably becomes just another french bar. |
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"Understand where you're coming from, Johnnie was easy going but she was the one who kept the whole show on the road.
She could be really sharp and did appear rude but I think that had a lot to do with her culture.
I always thought that Jennie was half-cast, growing up in Scotland like that guy in "Porridge" but she was Thai or Malaysian and her accent was simply down to having lived with Johnnie for so long.
There's no doubt that running that bar as a couple is highly stressful but they did it successfully for years and I think that if she was a bit 'touchy' it was simply down to her worry about the affect it was having on Johnnies health.
Nice comment Luci, and I believe Malaysian, but don't treat fun loving d*unken people as assholes when they are trying to be social, in my book, or else don't run a bar.
' touchy ? ' ... she could be the devil incarnate.
Jenny was a darling actually - obviously her sense of humour passed over your head - or perhaps you have had a sense of humour by-pass...she also had a warm side for those who treated her with respect.
Either way we loved her attitude and jonnys last year wasn't a patch on what it was when those 2 were in charge
"
Have to say that we got on quite well with Jenny. She could be stern, I'll never forget the look I got when I knocked a glass over  and god help you if you put a glass down without a beer mat, but deep down we thought she was a pussycat really.
To be fair to both of them it was quite a feat running that bar without any help (something we think they should have got) and we know she was very concerned about Jonnys health towards the end.
We still went in the bar last year but not as often as in previous years and we will give it a fair crack this year. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I have to say that we found the pair of them great, yes Jenny was sharp and Johnnie's jokes could easily be taken the wrong way but if you understood their sense of humour they were as good as gold the pair of them. Hopefully they are still floating about in cap somewhere as we'd like to buy the pair of them a drink |
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"I have to say that we found the pair of them great, yes Jenny was sharp and Johnnie's jokes could easily be taken the wrong way but if you understood their sense of humour they were as good as gold the pair of them. Hopefully they are still floating about in cap somewhere as we'd like to buy the pair of them a drink"
So would we. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Understand where you're coming from, Johnnie was easy going but she was the one who kept the whole show on the road.
She could be really sharp and did appear rude but I think that had a lot to do with her culture.
I always thought that Jennie was half-cast, growing up in Scotland like that guy in "Porridge" but she was Thai or Malaysian and her accent was simply down to having lived with Johnnie for so long.
There's no doubt that running that bar as a couple is highly stressful but they did it successfully for years and I think that if she was a bit 'touchy' it was simply down to her worry about the affect it was having on Johnnies health."
Half cast... |
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By *ucianpoundCouple
over a year ago
Cap d’Agde, France |
"Understand where you're coming from, Johnnie was easy going but she was the one who kept the whole show on the road.
She could be really sharp and did appear rude but I think that had a lot to do with her culture.
I always thought that Jennie was half-cast, growing up in Scotland like that guy in "Porridge" but she was Thai or Malaysian and her accent was simply down to having lived with Johnnie for so long.
There's no doubt that running that bar as a couple is highly stressful but they did it successfully for years and I think that if she was a bit 'touchy' it was simply down to her worry about the affect it was having on Johnnies health.
Half cast... "
OK. fair point, giving away my age!
Should I say.....,mixed race.........
I'm not sure what the right expression is but I always thought that she was half West Indian/half Scottish given her, appearance, and accent.
But then, what do I know! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Have to say we both found Johnny n Jen as very friendly.They always treated us with respect and that was obviously returned.
Running a bar the way they did and seeing your partners health suffer as a consequence must have a massive effect on your attempts to try and be model patrons.
Some folk come on holiday and just expect everyone to stand to attention,they worked their tits off for years and now it's just gonna be another French bar.
But it will always be known as Johnnys so they must have done something right |
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By *ucianpoundCouple
over a year ago
Cap d’Agde, France |
Visited nouveau Johnnies today, although the new name is forgettable the deco is much improved and the little side room has become a cosy little snug.
Nice to see a varied menu, gone are the dated wall pictures and the place seems quite trendy.
The clientele was all french this afternoon, be interesting to see if the Brits continue to come! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Was in "Johnnie Wokers" on three separate occasions.....Not a Brit in sight. The two guys have done a nice job of tidying the old place up but I would suggest that the JW,s we used to know has gone. Maybe the next thread should be,,,Who or what bar is going to be the choice of Brits |
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"Was in "Johnnie Wokers" on three separate occasions.....Not a Brit in sight. The two guys have done a nice job of tidying the old place up but I would suggest that the JW,s we used to know has gone. Maybe the next thread should be,,,Who or what bar is going to be the choice of Brits"
Last year we still went into JW's but not as often as in previous years.
We started to use the Bodega bar a lot more often and have to say that we enjoyed it in there.
This year we will go and have a look at the new JW and then decide whether or not to use it regularly.
Notwithstanding the ownership I don't think it was a British bar as such.
Although many Brits did use it we thought the clientele was very international. Sometimes there would me as many (if not more) Germans and Dutch in the place. Plus our American friends of course.
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"If the new French type bar fails what we need is someone to reopen it with a music theme. Playing stuff by Rolling Stones, AC/DC etc.
Then we could call it Johnny Rockers !!"
As a couple of old rockers we would certainly go for that. |
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By *hropsDuoCouple
over a year ago
Shropshire |
We tried 'Ô2 BïZouX' this weekend. No other Brits in there, but had a lovely chat with the new owners, they are very friendly and welcoming, even told us how to pronounce the name!
A bonus for me is that they serve Gluten Free food, so will be trying them out when we are back in 2 weeks! |
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By *hropsDuoCouple
over a year ago
Shropshire |
We tried 'Ô2 BïZouX' this weekend. No other Brits in there, but had a lovely chat with the new owners, they are very friendly and welcoming, even told us how to pronounce the name!
A bonus for me is that they serve Gluten Free food, so will be trying them out when we are back in 2 weeks! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"We tried 'Ô2 BïZouX' this weekend. No other Brits in there, but had a lovely chat with the new owners, they are very friendly and welcoming, even told us how to pronounce the name!
A bonus for me is that they serve Gluten Free food, so will be trying them out when we are back in 2 weeks! "
Sounds good - we eyeballed the place and it looks nice |
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By *apdagdeCouple
over a year ago
Norfolk |
We tried Ô2 BïZouX last night, the new owners Miguel and Laurn are lovely, they will make you very welcome.
We did enjoy JWs when Johnny and Jen were the owners, but it's all changed now and it is still worth a visit, plus the food looks really good.
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Met the two lads last night and they are lovely. Very welcoming and interested in the opinions of old JW customers. We think this will work out well, they haven't changed it radically but freshened it up which we all agree was badly needed.
Interestingly, the Bodega Bar that some have decided is a better option didn't open at all the last three nights. |
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"Met the two lads last night and they are lovely. Very welcoming and interested in the opinions of old JW customers. We think this will work out well, they haven't changed it radically but freshened it up which we all agree was badly needed.
Interestingly, the Bodega Bar that some have decided is a better option didn't open at all the last three nights."
I wouldn't say we think the Bodega Bar is a better option but a good alternative for some nights.
In previous years when Jonny and Jenny were running Wokkers we probably spent a bit too much time in the place.
Last year we divided our time between the two which is what we will do this year. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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We have just returned from cap. Numbers are well down on previous visits. Proably because of the bad weather.many of the popular bars and restarants were very quiet or closed early or only open weekends. The owners of the bodega bar now run what was 3 separate venues so without the numbers there is no point in opening. O2 is a small bar run by the owners . Bodega bar would have to pay for staff and the DJ with 3 people at the bar . |
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By *tasia OP Couple
over a year ago
West Bromwich |
Just tried to get a basic profile up for the lads at O2. It’s found here so if you’ve visited this summer why not add them as friends and maybe leave a verification as well. All helps the cause 
Https://www.fabswingers.com/profile/o2_bizoux_o2_kisses |
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By *uccubus19Couple
over a year ago
North London & Manilva Spain |
We loved 02.. yes there could be changes but the guys who run it are amazing, friendly and we enjoyed a few good evenings there. Look forward to seeing them end of June next year! Xxxxx |
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By *tasia OP Couple
over a year ago
West Bromwich |
Just arrived for this years hols. Great to arrive at 11pm and see the place rammed before the real season kicks in. Bar looking fresh with another painting and tv not showing tennis or something daft. Lads friendly as ever and bar prices same as last year. Have a good season lads. |
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"Just arrived for this years hols. Great to arrive at 11pm and see the place rammed before the real season kicks in. Bar looking fresh with another painting and tv not showing tennis or something daft. Lads friendly as ever and bar prices same as last year. Have a good season lads. "
Good to hear.
Looking forward to some great nights in there. |
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Been to O2 a few times in the last month, though the late evenings have mostly been too chilly for the terrace, and as good as ever.
Always a smile from the guys
Also looks like L'Horizon next door is finally getting ready as they were painting some of the parasol stands grey on Monday. |
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"Been to O2 a few times in the last month, though the late evenings have mostly been too chilly for the terrace, and as good as ever.
Always a smile from the guys
Also looks like L'Horizon next door is finally getting ready as they were painting some of the parasol stands grey on Monday."
We love the guys at 02 they are great. |
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By *arwayCouple
over a year ago
London |
I think the book reading of a lifestyle erotica on the 27th will add value. Maybe story telling as part of an evening every week as we seem to love hearing people’s journey into being more sec positive. |
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Our first time in Cap so did not know our way around, a couple of friends suggested O2 and so glad we found it
The two guys are great always a hello how are you and no matter how busy it gets you never wait long to be served
Thanks guys and the mojitos (probably spelt wrong) are great
xx |
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