Why empty restaurants in Las Terrenas ??

Mm530

Mm530

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Dec 28, 2014
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I visited las terrenas for the first time. Beaches are really nice. It was interesting the mixture of locals, italians, frenchies and visitors.

There are many beautful restaurants all on the strip.. the intersting thing is that they were mostly empty ? How do these places survive ?

I was there all weekend and rarely was any place few ??

Also sad was the kids prostituting themselves :( but thats another topic.

One waitress we met was telling us that its sad how some parents with the babies in the womb still... have plans to pimp to pimp their kids to tourist or pedophiles who will pay a steep fee to have them. just WOW
 
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EddieC

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May 8, 2003
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Mm530 said:
I visited las terrenas for the first time. Beaches are really nice. It was interesting the mixture of locals, italians, frenchies and visitors.

There are many beautful restaurants all on the strip.. the intersting thing is that they were mostly empty ? How do these places survive ?

I was there all weekend and rarely was any place few ??

Also sad was the kids prostituting themselves :( but thats another topic.

One waitress we met was telling us that its sad how some parents with the babies in the womb still... have plans to pimp to pimp their kids to tourist or pedophiles who will pay a steep fee to have them. just WOW
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Sad indeed,but a normal consequence of poverty and demographic imbalance.
 
S

Salsafan

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Aug 17, 2011
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Low season in LT is low season. But then you have the beaches for you self, you are the only customer in dive- and kiteshops, 5-10 ladies for every gringo to choose for dancing.
 
J

jd426

Gold
Dec 12, 2009
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mongoose 777 said:
Very sad. I once heard a person comment that many poor families throughout Latin America appreciate having girls more than boys as they know that they will one day bring in money for the family.
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Im sorry but this is totally False.. they all want BOYS, who will take care of Grandma and the Tias who Raised him.. I girl is a liability, until she is a teenager and blossoms into a pretty girl and decises to then use those looks to her advantage..
No way the average pregnant mother is saying " Oh I HOPE its a Girl" ..
 
R

robbiee

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Dec 27, 2014
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it's low season now over there in DR. just wait until January- February. things should pick up...but many restaurants always seem to be empty, ha ha...
but from what i seen and was told this year - 2014-2015 was the best since many years for tourism in DR. Sosua was crowded, Las terrenas was pretty crowded and few other places too.

kids prostituting themselves ? where did you see them ? they are more like 16-18-20 years old..... guy/ girl who is 16 or 18 in DR is usually few years older by mind as she/he is already father/mother (often) and her/his life and circumstances are harsh...thats why they get older really fast, ladies over 35 very often look like women in their 50s in Europe or US.

and the guys ? even in their 50s they preserved their inner mind of a kid, haha. thats the beauty of this caotic country ;-)
 
L

LTSteve

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Jul 9, 2010
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Mm530 said:
I visited las terrenas for the first time. Beaches are really nice. It was interesting the mixture of locals, italians, frenchies and visitors.

There are many beautful restaurants all on the strip.. the intersting thing is that they were mostly empty ? How do these places survive ?

I was there all weekend and rarely was any place few ??

Also sad was the kids prostituting themselves :( but thats another topic.

One waitress we met was telling us that its sad how some parents with the babies in the womb still... have plans to pimp to pimp their kids to tourist or pedophiles who will pay a steep fee to have them. just WOW
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Thngs don't start picking up until just before Christmas and New Years. I really never could figure out how many of these restaurants survived without a volume of customers. Hope Las Terrenas has a good Winter season.
 
F

Fernandez

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Jan 4, 2002
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LTSteve said:
Thngs don't start picking up until just before Christmas and New Years. I really never could figure out how many of these restaurants survived without a volume of customers. Hope Las Terrenas has a good Winter season.
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Spent a weekend there three weeks ago.
The place was pretty much lonely- restaurants empty and the beaches as well. My wife and I noticed that the town looks very shaggy- little in the way of "interesting". The manager of the property we stayed at (across from Punta Poppy) said the property market in Las Terrenas has been under pressure for a long time- and investors have taken flight / looking to liquidate.

The water was clean, clear and beautiful. Unfortunately we notice garbage dumps in the brush- off the beaches.
It seems that the locals can't get past the garbage dumping... not what one would expect given the natural beauty of the beaches. The new Autopista was empty- only one car in the opposite direction when we left Sunday afternoon.

Much busier in Juan Dolio upon our return.
Something needs to happen in the north- I don't get it.
 
U

Uzin

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Oct 26, 2005
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I noticed that too about empty restaurants, on my few visits there during low season, I think the low season in Las Terrenas is really low. Also I think expats regularly go to the cheaper and their own hang-outs, so many of those restaurants on the beach are tourist only places. I guess they make their money during the high season and that lasts them through the low period.

But I was hesitatnt to go to places when I see them empty day in day out - stale/old food and products !? Perhaps they could do a special, low-season offers to attract expats and customers...
 
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ju10prd

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Nov 19, 2014
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I lived in LT for 18 months and there are frequent changes in ownership and closure of some of the restaurants. Restaurants associated with the hotels, and that are those along the strip towards Punta Popi, just tick along low or high season.

It is a hard business and the staff get paid a pittance (7k for six long days was quite normal).

Low season is nice for the residents.....empty beaches and you know where to go to have a quiet drink or meal. Weekends are always busy especially late evening when the weekend visitors from Santo Domingo party. Pueblo de Pescadores normally is jam packed late Friday and Saturday but late. Residents and hoteliers nearby have been complaining about the noise.

LT is nothing like NC. It's a Francophile place and the French have their way of enjoying life.

Anybody with money will not be investing or staying within the town but on it's edges. The infrastructure cannot handle anymore in the central areas. Forget the image of a sleepy fishing village. It does not exist. The great quiet and relatively untouched beaches and a peaceful relaxing 'away from the city' vacation is what you get in the LT margins.

Forget it if your agenda is chicas.......leave that to the local French and Italians who have 'been there, done that'.
 
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sylindr

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Nov 29, 2007
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I think restaurants in this country period are hurt by the 30% tax on meals and then the expected tip.... Its crazy
 
AlterEgo

AlterEgo

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Jan 9, 2009
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JDJones said:
I give bag boys 100 peso tips. When I pay a food bill, I check to see how much the 10% tip is, and give at least that amount to my server if the service is good.

Am I the last of the big spenders?
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We always tip at least another 10% in restaurants too. Mr. AE takes care of the bag boys, but it's usually change, not 100 pesos.
 
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harry myrtle beach

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Sep 16, 2015
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Wow you live here pay a fraction of what it would cost you to live in your country,and can't give at least 15 if not 20% tip. Not for me to judge,but wow.
 
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