Yabanci Price

[bickern]

Well the new Pastry shop (pastahane) has just opened in Koycegiz square, so I visited with mehmet the bookshop guy.



Ordered a couple of pastries and some teas and the bill came to 16 TL which I found expensive so I asked mehmet to confirm.

Confirmed correctly and the reason the owner gave is Yabanci Fiyati meaning foreigner price. I had spoke to him in Turkish so he should have known I could understand what he said.



So anyone contemplating going to the new pastry shop at the side of Cicek, if your a foreigner your price is different than mehmets.

[angryumpire]

Is this pastry shop a new venture, or has the pastry shop moved from the back road opposite the Mosque on the cross roads," Onder Pastanasi". ?
We use the Onder and pay 10 lira for 2 gooey cakes and 2 coffees, we will not be visiting this new cake shop at these prices.

While on the subject of Tourist Prices, 4 yrs ago we stopped using 2 Bars on the Lakeside for the same reason and we were also with Turkish friends, but we did the ordering. When we queried the Bill,( 30 Lira plus), they knocked off half a Lira from the Bill. We have never been in since and our Turkish friends have told them why, but they just shrug their shoulders and don't care because other Tourists go in on a Monday ( Market day ).
When will these Bar/Shopkeepers learn and realise how much money they lose from the "Tourists" who live in the Koycegiz area.

[bickern]

Yes, the same. It is shop number 2 they have kept the old one open, it used to be Yusuf Donna.

I know they will have spent a good deal of money on it and they have to get that back plus the rent, but ripping off does not seem to me to be the way to do it.

[angryumpire]

We will go into the old Onder next week and see what they charge us, we will then go to new outlet and ask the price of the identical cake and coffee, could be interesting.

[broglia]

Hi Pete, as you know Jill & I use that Pastanasi every time we're in Koycegiz. It really saddens the heart to think that they are quite happy to rip off foreign visitors.

Let us know what you find! Don't know where I'll be buying my Baklava in future

[angryumpire]

Price check Part 1

Went into Onder 1 today, 2 gooey cakes and 2 Nescafe, price 9 lira. ( cakes 6 lira, Nescafe 3 lira).

Will have to give Onder 2 a miss for a few days, my wife is worried about her weight.

[angryumpire]

Price Check part 2.

Went into Onder 2 last week, ordered same as before, and we only only gave him a 10 lira note to see if he asked for more, ok he said and didn't offer any change.

Went in today, same order, asked for the bill, 10 lira. I would be interested to see what the cost would be to ex pats who own property but only visit occasionally, although we use Onder 1 regularly and he knows us. I am quite happy to pay 10 lira and sit in the Square and watch the world go by.

Norman, are you sure you didn't look like a Tourist, you know, shorts with milk bottle legs, black socks and sandals, and a knotted handkerchief on your head ?? ;D ;D ;D Only joking !!!!!

[bickern]

After the shouting and balling I did and the fact that Fatima next door told him he was out of order it may well be he had a rethink.

Mehmet the book stall guy has also had a few words I believe.

The price wasn't the problem it was the statement that set me off and if the price for your 2 gooey cakes and 2 coffees is 10 lira for a Turk then no problem, but to be honest if a Turk pays even 9 lira then it is not acceptable for you to be ripped off for that 1 lira just because you are a foreigner.

[bickern]

Well I thought I would do an update.

Seems the place has shut down and I can't say I am sorry, even though that may seem a bit of an harsh statement.

Someone will probably know the reason why and hopefully it is because people shunned it.

[angryumpire]

After going undercover with my investigation and asking our Turkish friends the reason for his closing Onder 2, the reason is simple, lack of trade, due apparently to having at least 3 different price structures for coffee & cakes, which were smaller portions than Onder 1, his other shop and they were not as fresh as they could be. Even local Turks were charged different prices depending on who you asked for the bill.

However, I must point out we were never overcharged whoever we paid the bill to.

Having said that, I don't see how 2 cake shops in the Square can make a living, if he had carried out some research he would have seen the other shop also has very few customers and there is only so much money in the village to go round.