By Kelly Murphy (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #5) on Tuesday, May 30, 2006 - 3:05 pm: |
Just returned from a visit to Bonaire and discovered the Cactus Blue restaurant. This is a gem that you locals and visitors as well need to discover (if you haven’t already) and protect.
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By Rosanne (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #259) on Tuesday, May 30, 2006 - 3:18 pm: |
We dined at Cactus Blue in April and found the food to be very good and the servers were very friendly and helpful. The only complaint we had was when we asked for the check it took forever but I would reccommend it to anyone and will certainly visit there again on my next visit!The menu was eclectic with some local/Carribbean food that I didn't find on other restaurants menu's.
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By Just Jeanine Again (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2670) on Wednesday, June 7, 2006 - 5:40 pm: |
I dined at Cactus Blue about 2 weeks ago. There were 6 people in the entire restaurant, a party of 4 and my party of 2. The servers were nice, but the owners never came out and talked to us. We didn't even know they were there until a car pulled up and the female owner (Corrine???) ran out from the back and greeted them. She and her husband then spent their time futzing over them. We were not acknowledged until we went to leave and then they waived goodbye. The food was good but we had to ask for water twice. Given that other places take the time to speak with you even when they are busy, I don't think we will be back. But yes...the food was good.
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By Debbie Babcock (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3591) on Wednesday, June 7, 2006 - 5:47 pm: |
Hi Jeanine! I am not surprised by your review, not at all. Thanks for posting.
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By Vince DePietro (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #329) on Thursday, June 8, 2006 - 6:09 am: |
Personally I would frown on a business establishment that resorted to placing paper flyers on vehicles, especially at dive sites!
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By Judy Workman (BonaireTalker - Post #22) on Thursday, June 8, 2006 - 7:40 am: |
We were at Cactus Blue a couple of weeks ago and the explanation for the flyers is....they opened too late for the Bonaire Dining Guide Brochure printing. Hopefully, they are still in business in October for the new printing. Our meals were excellent, but this is low season and they were not busy. Good word-of-mouth might take over the need for the flyers. We'd eat there again and have recommended it to several others.
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By michael gaynor (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2096) on Thursday, June 8, 2006 - 10:58 am: |
I am the editor of the Dining Guide and offered them a space for their flyers next to ours at the airport and as yet have not heard back from them. Also, over 20 years ago I was involved in starting Tene Boneiru Limpi (Keep Bonaire Clean) and we had a problem with folks who thought it was a good idea to litter the island with their flyers, etc. that ended up in the water or stuck to a cactus. Putting ads on cars reminds me of mass tourism destinations where folks are bombarded with flyers for time shares, etc....Placing ads in convenient locations gives visitors the option of picking it up and reading it.I guess spamming is not just for e mails.
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By Rosanne (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #288) on Thursday, June 8, 2006 - 11:13 am: |
I'm angry that the flyers were placed on cars! This is just so thoughtless. I feel sad that once again Cactus Blue is getting bad press because we really did enjoy our meal there. I think it would be wise for them to get some help in marketing. Know the island, the people, the vibe because it seems this is what lacking and hindering the success of the restaurant. If I were to receive one of these flyers on my vehicle I would make an extra effort Not to go there. Thank you Michael for your efforts to keep Bonaire clean!
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By Sandy Ruffin (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #6) on Thursday, June 8, 2006 - 1:24 pm: |
Ladies and Gentleman:
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By michael gaynor (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2098) on Friday, June 9, 2006 - 8:40 am: |
Well said, Sandy...
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By Sue Goodman (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #348) on Friday, June 9, 2006 - 8:52 am: |
i wouldn't be happy to get a flyer on my windshield at a dive site, not because of the environment issues, but of the commercialism it represents. I go to Bonaire to relax, not be bombarded with ads - if I want that, I can just stay in NYC.
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By Sandy Ruffin (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #7) on Friday, June 9, 2006 - 9:40 am: |
Sue:
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By Kelly Murphy (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #10) on Friday, June 9, 2006 - 10:48 am: |
“Build a better mouse trap and the world will beat a path to your door.” Unfortunately this simply isn’t true. Add to this that many entrepreneurs spend nearly every available penny on building the product, be it a mousetrap, a gizmo, or a restaurant. They carefully plan and perfect the product before putting it out in front of the public. Then they sit and wait. They often have a great product that everybody might very much like, but alas nobody knows about it for lack of promotion.
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By Sandy Ruffin (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #8) on Friday, June 9, 2006 - 11:32 am: |
Kelly:
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By Debbie Babcock (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3608) on Friday, June 9, 2006 - 2:05 pm: |
Jeez, I don't see anyone here fighting "the little guy" Jeanine originally posted her review of what happened when she was at Cactus Blue and also noted that flyers were found in the water as well and had concerns for that. All the long winded posts on this is really weird. Not everyone enjoys this restaurant, and some do, those that do can spread the word. I for one, will NEVER go back there. Anyone want to see my review can look in the archives and see it. As far as the flyers go, I am glad they got the word of what is happening to them. That just my opinion and different strokes for different folks.
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By Patrick T. (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1178) on Friday, June 9, 2006 - 2:23 pm: |
Debbie:
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By Jerry Gauron (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #825) on Friday, June 9, 2006 - 2:49 pm: |
Check Please!
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By Vince DePietro (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #331) on Friday, June 9, 2006 - 6:14 pm: |
People let's get real here.. No one has the right to put an advertisement on someone's private property. THAT is arrogant. When I (or anyone else) rents a car, the vehicle is in your care custody & control. It's tantamount to being your private property since it's your financial responsibity..Please save the long winded explanations excusing this behavior & trying to find a reasonable rationale for it...
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By Ruth van Tilburg (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #592) on Friday, June 9, 2006 - 8:12 pm: |
Kelly, FYI, KFC is owned and operated by 2 ordinary people who have chosen to make Bonaire their home; I have lived here nearly 16 years, and my husband almost 32 years. We have no other home in the world. Our staff is 100% Antillean. Just because you didn't see it, doesn't mean that I don't have competition (it's tremendous in our price range), and that I don't "have to advertise." This is far from reality. I advertise in the Bonaire Dining Guide with a full page ad, on all the bus-stops (mostly located in neighborhoods where local people live), and on the radio, in Papiamento. Our customers are 90% local. You are right to point out that ..."these are people struggling to make Bonaire and their own lives a little better,..." However, you were wrong to exclude me.
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By Glen Reem (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2405) on Friday, June 9, 2006 - 9:45 pm: |
Ruth,
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By Just Jeanine Again (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2674) on Saturday, June 10, 2006 - 9:11 am: |
Hi all! Well I can verify that the message did not get back to the owners about the flyers. Yesterday at Vista Blue they pulled up to our truck, a little boy jumped out to hand us another flyer, then when I told him I had collected 4 already he looked at the adults in the front of the car and they all seemed puzzled. So, I then reached into my truck and pulled out the ones I already had. They then waived, smiled and drove off. I am keeping one on my dashboard now. And yes...the ones I find on the ground and in the water I am picking up.
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By michael gaynor (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2100) on Saturday, June 10, 2006 - 9:34 am: |
Bonaire's policy of Sustainable Growth carries over into every aspect of island life. I imagine that STINAPA will now have to address the issue of printed windblown literature poluting the reef! It is a matter of priorities I guess!
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By Dave Goodwin (BonaireTalker - Post #61) on Sunday, June 11, 2006 - 1:54 pm: |
Ruth,
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By Jerry Gauron (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #845) on Sunday, June 11, 2006 - 2:51 pm: |
Let's blame Ruth.
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By michael gaynor (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2104) on Sunday, June 11, 2006 - 5:31 pm: |
How to become a millionaire on Bonaire? Start out as a multi millionaire of course!!
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By Ruth van Tilburg (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #593) on Sunday, June 11, 2006 - 5:52 pm: |
Yup, that sounds about right. On Bonaire, you have to spend a lot of money, to make a little (I'm still waiting for that second part-it's been only 12 years). And of course, when all else fails, blame me.
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By Dave Goodwin (BonaireTalker - Post #62) on Monday, June 12, 2006 - 9:36 am: |
Ruth,
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By seb (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2816) on Monday, June 12, 2006 - 2:22 pm: |
Vince, in the USA, businesses have every right to put advertisements on your private property in the form of printed matter, and you have no recourse against them by law. I get tons of circulars on my doorstep, no way to stop them. They have only been stopped by buildings that have sued restaurants for leaving menus when the building (business) has had to pay to have them cleaned up.
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By Vince DePietro (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #341) on Monday, June 12, 2006 - 6:41 pm: |
Seb...Well, good luck with all the circulars at your doorstep. Yea I guess I may have "overshot" a bit on this. I vaguely remember reading about that case in NY.. If memory serves me correctly it was a chinese restaurant who was the defendant. However I really don't agree that there's "no way to stop them".
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By Sue Goodman (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #353) on Monday, June 12, 2006 - 11:48 pm: |
My NJ town has banned unsolicited ads being left in the driveways. I haven't heard of anyone being fined, but the township litter laws were amended to include this - now we get lots of junk mail . It has improved the situation, no more plastic bags of ads thrown all over front lawns.
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By Vince DePietro (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #343) on Tuesday, June 13, 2006 - 5:42 am: |
Sue..Yup, that's another way to stop this, amend the local laws as the practice is against public policy. In my instance, if we go away for 2 weeks, I always take care to have the mail stopped, advise newspaper subscriptions, notify business clients I'm away & not send any fed ex packages etc. to avoid having stuff accumulating on the driveway indicating "no one's home". All this is defeated by someone casually throwing free newspapers, ads etc onto the driveway. Yes, I have complained more than once & have been successful in getting the practice stopped....Rant over...
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By seb (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2819) on Tuesday, June 13, 2006 - 8:22 am: |
Vince, that legal hurdle is why only complaining entities that are businesses that can prove they have spent money to clean up chinese menus can recover damages, but cannot stop the menu dropoffs. Our time is worth nothing in the courts, I'm afraid.
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By michael gaynor (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2109) on Tuesday, June 13, 2006 - 9:54 am: |
Commericialism is a kind of pollution that is offensive to most of the folks who visit Bonaire. As for flyers on cars, STINAPA is aware of the issue and it will be addressed. Let me say, as a business I spend a lot of money printing a brouchure and a lot more to have it placed at Flamingo Airport where people can take one if they wish. I try to make my message clear and and unoffensive and that includes the way it is delivered. Good marketing practices are not Rocket Science!
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By curtis steiner (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #3) on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 9:29 am: |
ok folks lets take this one further.
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By Grasshopper (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #18809) on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 10:08 am: |
Chris, I was there when digital was putting up the billboards, and had the big "free concert" at the stadium as well. I would suggest you write to TCB, and the government of Bonaire with your thoughts on the billboards. I agree, and I think that most others that live on Bonaire also agree, that the billboards must go.
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By michael gaynor (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2197) on Wednesday, August 2, 2006 - 8:45 am: |
The billboards are temporary and will be coming down soon. Also, I am the editor of the Bonaire Dining Guide and fail to see your point. Also, where do you get your figures for our growh? Please let me know your source.
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By curtis steiner (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #4) on Wednesday, August 2, 2006 - 9:36 am: |
as a response to Mr michael gaynor, my source for the additonal residents was from my real estate agent.
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By Grasshopper (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #18829) on Wednesday, August 2, 2006 - 10:13 am: |
Michael, thanks. Good to know the billboards will be coming down
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By Sue Goodman (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #397) on Wednesday, August 2, 2006 - 2:17 pm: |
Michael - my impression of the dining guide was that the restaurants placing the ads wrote or provided the copy. I don't have one handy, but seem to recall all the comments were glowing, and as we know from this board, one person's gem is another's dud. Is this correct? In this case, I'm unclear how a restaurant would be punished for not buying more space.
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By Wally and Eva (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #959) on Wednesday, August 2, 2006 - 5:46 pm: |
Flyers nothing…what really gets my goat is all the tourist poop that is left on the island….it leaches through the porous soil and ultimately ends up in the reef. Maybe BON should have a pack it in pack it out policy for poop like it has for batteries on Bonaire
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By michael gaynor (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2198) on Thursday, August 3, 2006 - 12:12 pm: |
The dining guide is published once a year by the Bonaire Resteraunt Association. There is only one size ad and the copy is written in conjuction with the owner of the establishment. Those choosing not to advertise are not "bad mouthed" since they are not mentioned at all. You can find the guide at www.bonairediningguide.com. It has proven itself to be a vauable resource for visitors to be able to scope out the places to eat. Also as for real estate agents, remember they are sales persons as well and sometimes tell folks what they want to hear. Wally, I did not see you boarding the plane with little plastic baggies.
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By Mare (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1442) on Thursday, August 3, 2006 - 4:38 pm: |
michael
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By michael gaynor (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2202) on Friday, August 4, 2006 - 8:12 am: |
Shoot! I forgot how sneaky he is..
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