Pops, finally

[dt5150]

after years of hearing about pops, we finally made it there for dinner the other night. i've been wanting to go for a while so it was good to finally check it off my list

food was great. the wife and i split a plate of whole clams and scallops with fries and a side of onion rings. the clams and scallops were very good. very crisp, crunchy batter with a good flavor and not too oily. both tasted very fresh too. the onion rings were good too, but they didn't have a whole lot of flavor to them. i liked them, but they just seemed to be missing something. the fries were really good too. my wife is picky when it comes to fries, she doesn't like typical fast food type fries. she liked these though, and so did i. all in all, great food, huge portions (we couldn't finish it all) and reasonable prices. plus sitting on the roof on a beautiful summer night overlooking alton bay.. how can ya beat that? we'll be back.

[dpg]

Same with me read about them all the time but haven't got there. Probably won't this summer they seem to keep limited hours.

[upthesaukee]

Originally Posted by dpg

Same with me read about them all the time but haven't got there. Probably won't this summer they seem to keep limited hours.

Pop's is open 6 days a week now, 11:30 - 8:00. Closed on Wednesday.

Not so limited to me

[dt5150]

definitely worth the trip though. much much better seafood than sawyers.

[RLW]

Originally Posted by dt5150

after years of hearing about pops, we finally made it there for dinner the other night. i've been wanting to go for a while so it was good to finally check it off my list

food was great. the wife and i split a plate of whole clams and scallops with fries and a side of onion rings. the clams and scallops were very good. very crisp, crunchy batter with a good flavor and not too oily. both tasted very fresh too. the onion rings were good too, but they didn't have a whole lot of flavor to them. i liked them, but they just seemed to be missing something. the fries were really good too. my wife is picky when it comes to fries, she doesn't like typical fast food type fries. she liked these though, and so did i. all in all, great food, huge portions (we couldn't finish it all) and reasonable prices. plus sitting on the roof on a beautiful summer night overlooking Alton Bay.. how can ya beat that? we'll be back.

My suggestion for your next visit is to get your meal and walk across the street to the picnic tables and eat your meals right on the edge of the big lake. We take the meals on their trays and return them when finished.

[granitebox]

Just did the same thing on Friday night - kind of a wet night but asked if we could take the trays across the street and got an immediate "yes". Meal was wonderful.....as always

[upthesaukee]

...they will pack them in paper bags, and give you a cardboard box like what soda cases are made of. Don't have to come back across the street with the tray. Just a thought.

[dt5150]

good tip about the table across the street. i'll remember that for next time. we wouldn't have been able to do that the other night, there was some concert going on at the pavilion and the area was packed.

[granitebox]

Every Saturday night in July and August there is a concert starting at 7 PM at the bandstand. Combined with the Old Home Day activities last weekend made for a busy "table across the street"

[MAXUM]

So we took a ride today all the way from Bear Island down to Alton just to go there only to find out they do not take plastic and we didn't have enough cash on us.. so we ended up elsewhere.

[pops]

I lose 5% right off the top plus processing fees. We have explored the idea of taking credit cards and I am not comfortable with giving them that much of my income.Infact the sales lady from the processing company was familiar with us because travles to our place as a destination on motorcycle trips. She basically talked me out of taking credit cards and told me it was not a good idea for a seasonal business. We do have an atm on sight, unfortunately it is down right now and I am in the process of getting it repaired.
Popsicle

[MAXUM]

Originally Posted by pops

I lose 5% right off the top plus processing fees. We have explored the idea of taking credit cards and I am not comfortable with giving them that much of my income.Infact the sales lady from the processing company was familiar with us because travles to our place as a destination on motorcycle trips. She basically talked me out of taking credit cards and told me it was not a good idea for a seasonal business. We do have an atm on sight, unfortunately it is down right now and I am in the process of getting it repaired.
Popsicle

It is pretty amazing how much the CC processing fees are, and I do appreciate why you don't take them, hard enough to have a profitable business these days without giving up that extra off the top. So with no cash on hand not much we could do, but next time we'll come prepared. Figured I'd get the word out so others don't end up like we did. Food did smell and look yummy though.

[upthesaukee]

Besides Pop's, there is an ATM at Amilynne's up at the corner across from the mini-golf course (affectionally still remembered as Busy Corner).

[Winnipesaukee Divers]

Originally Posted by pops

I lose 5% right off the top plus processing fees. We have explored the idea of taking credit cards and I am not comfortable with giving them that much of my income.Infact the sales lady from the processing company was familiar with us because travles to our place as a destination on motorcycle trips. She basically talked me out of taking credit cards and told me it was not a good idea for a seasonal business. We do have an atm on sight, unfortunately it is down right now and I am in the process of getting it repaired.
Popsicle

So, let me get this straight. You let $30-$40 worth of business walk out the door and right into your competition because you don't want to pay the processing fee! How many other dollars did you let walk away that day too? How many other customers were inconvenienced too and decided to go somewhere else? People just don't carry much cash anymore.

I too run a small business and my CC process fee is 2.25% plus a $15 processing fee. I may go several months without using CC but it's a service for my customers that I just can't do without.

BTW: how much profit margin is in a roadside fast food business? Time to rethink your business strategy.

[Chaselady]

Originally Posted by pops

I lose 5% right off the top plus processing fees. We have explored the idea of taking credit cards and I am not comfortable with giving them that much of my income.Infact the sales lady from the processing company was familiar with us because travles to our place as a destination on motorcycle trips. She basically talked me out of taking credit cards and told me it was not a good idea for a seasonal business. We do have an atm on sight, unfortunately it is down right now and I am in the process of getting it repaired.
Popsicle

How much does that ATM of yours charge the customer?

[Happy Gourmand]

Originally Posted by Chaselady

How much does that ATM of yours charge the customer?

Nothing....it doesn't work!!
There are a few other restaurants around the lake that do not take plastic. It is a business decision that an owner makes that you either agree with or not. That's your decision to make.
The fees associated with accepting plastic for seasonal businesses is exorbitant.

[Winnipesaukee Divers]

Originally Posted by The Phantom Gourmand

The fees associated with accepting plastic for seasonal businesses is exorbitant.

I hope you were just kidding with that statement. You may want to research that fact a little further. They could use "Square" on their cell phone for 1.75% and cancel it anytime (I do). Look how many seasonal and short term business do use CC. With the volume they do, 36% overhead and the margin on their products the 1.5%, 2.25% or even 3.5% service fee on one out of ten sales, that excuse just doesn't hold water. There are other reasons they don't want to use it. The cost is just a convenient excuse. Perhaps, it's the fact that they like it being an all "cash" business, with no paper trails on reported income.

[Happy Gourmand]

Originally Posted by Winnipesaukee Divers

I hope you were just kidding with that statement. You may want to research that fact a little further. They could use "Square" on their cell phone for 1.75% and cancel it anytime (I do). Look how many seasonal and short term business do use CC. With the volume they do, 36% overhead and the margin on their products the 1.5%, 2.25% or even 3.5% service fee on one out of ten sales, that excuse just doesn't hold water. There are other reasons they don't want to use it. The cost is just a convenient excuse. Perhaps, it's the fact that they like it being an all "cash" business, with no paper trails on reported income.

Whatever "excuse" they choose to make is exactly that. They choose not to accept credit cards. That's their decision. I've been caught short there myself after boating from Meredith...FORCED to go to Shibley's...but that wasn't a bad thing either!

[gillygirl]

Originally Posted by Winnipesaukee Divers

I hope you were just kidding with that statement. You may want to research that fact a little further. They could use "Square" on their cell phone for 1.75% and cancel it anytime (I do). Look how many seasonal and short term business do use CC. With the volume they do, 36% overhead and the margin on their products the 1.5%, 2.25% or even 3.5% service fee on one out of ten sales, that excuse just doesn't hold water. There are other reasons they don't want to use it. The cost is just a convenient excuse. Perhaps, it's the fact that they like it being an all "cash" business, with no paper trails on reported income.

It never ceases to amaze me how insulting some people can be on an anonymous forum. Is pops someone you know? Did he screw you in a business deal? I'm sure his reasons for not accepting credit cards are no business of yours.

[Chaselady]

I personally would rather see Pops tack on the extra 5% on my food bill, than be charged upwards of 10% on the money I would be getting from some of these " non-bank" owned ATMs. Plus the inconvenience caused to me by demanding cash only. Not everyone carries a lot of cash these days, and we all don't have daily access to a bank.

[granitebox]

The value that I recieve when I eat at Pops is worth the small cost to me of bringing cash. To each his own - the decision to frequent a business based on payment methods is yours to make. Ultimately the market bears out the decisions and choices of any business.

Pops is the best in my book!!!

[WINNOCTURN]

Originally Posted by Chaselady

I personally would rather see Pops tack on the extra 5% on my food bill, than be charged upwards of 10% on the money I would be getting from some of these " non-bank" owned ATMs. Plus the inconvenience caused to me by demanding cash only. Not everyone carries a lot of cash these days, and we all don't have daily access to a bank.

Did you ask if you could pay by personnel Check? We do that all the time with never a problem.

Pops!
:lipl ick:

[jrc]

I've been to a few places where no cash was accepted, like airplanes. Is that the future? Our friends at the IRS and the NSA will love that.

[Chaselady]

Originally Posted by WINNOCTURN

Did you ask if you could pay by personnel Check? We do that all the time with never a problem.

Pops!
:lipl ick:

But my original question was not answered....how much do you charge people to take money out of your ATM?

[Bigstan]

Originally Posted by WINNOCTURN

Did you ask if you could pay by personnel Check? We do that all the time with never a problem.

Pops!
:lipl ick:

What is this 'check' thing that you speak of?

[pops]

We do accept personal checks. Our fee on our atm is $2.50. I have considered using square with my cell phone but we have no cell service in the building. At some point in time I am sure we will have to start accepting plastic. Wouldn't think everybodys panties would get in a knot about this but sometimes "ya just don't know".
Pops

[Winnipesaukee Divers]

Originally Posted by gillygirl

It never ceases to amaze me how insulting some people can be on an anonymous forum. Is pops someone you know? Did he screw you in a business deal? I'm sure his reasons for not accepting credit cards are no business of yours.

I'm not anonymous everyone reading this knows just who I am (click on my name). In fact, I do enjoy going to Pop's and I don't mind paying his high prices, eating on dirty tables and I'd rather pay with cash. I was just trying to point out to him, he's lousing a lot of business by being so short sighted. There are other options! My daughters on the other hand never carry cash, their money is direct deposited and they live with Debit Cards, that's the way business is done today.

There was a time, I ventured down from Wolfe City by sailboat every Friday night to Alton and Pop's was my number one choice. Those days are gone for me, but I still love to go there when I can.