Some construction piccies of Arfa's Burger Joint ...

[Arfa Daily]

I've uploaded some piccies to Flickr for anyone who's interested. Never done this before, so hope I've got it right ! You should be able to see them at

[Ron Lowe]

>> Arfa

Yep. it worked.

Great job, hope it goes well.

Nice green shoes the dude has...

[Ericp]

Fascinating. Many thanks :)

[Tim Watts]

I like the curvy counter - much better than an all-straight :)

How did you do the wall-murals? Well, I assume it's somethign printed that is hung or stuck on - but where do you get stuff like that?

And was it custom designed - or is there a mega library of stock scenes?

Cheers,

Tim

[Dave Liquorice]

Seesm so and the bar looks good.

Are the bar stools fixed to the platform? I know the things are normally damn heavy but if they aren't fixed some clown will manage to move one over the edge and them, or someone else, will sit on it and over balance backwards. The crack of a head hitting a hard surface is not very pleasant...

[Clive George]

I didn't hit my head when I did that in a restaurant, but I did send a very creamy cake flying everywhere :-)

[Dave Liquorice]

backwards.

Fully awake people tend not to whack their heads. It's the semi or unconcious that do.

[Arfa Daily]

>>> Arfa

There is a mega library of photos available in various resolutions. The higher the resolution, the higher the 'rights' cost for using it. They were done for us by the company that did all of the signage. You just tell them what picture you want, and what size it's got to be, and they produce it. Apparently, it's done on mega-printers. The mural is actually made in several pieces, and is self-adhesive. They have a couple of fitters who come and put them up. Same lads that put the vinyl on the counter, and the logo'd frosting panels on the windows. They are very good at their job, I have to say. You would have to look very hard to see any joins or imperfections. It is a tough washable vinyl print.

Arfa

[Arfa Daily]

The stools are fixed with big screws to blocks of wood glued to the underside of the platform's top. I fitted those two part chrome-look plastic caps to the screw heads, so that they match the bases of the stools, and look like smooth headed bolts. We're getting a lot of local kids in for the milkshakes, and of course, they love sitting up there. So far, it all seems to be taking the load ok.

Arfa

[Tim Watts]

Fascinating - I'd always wondered how those were done...

It definately gives it atmosphere over a plain white "chip shop" look.

Come to think of it - there's an American style hangout in Cheam (Surrey/S London) that has a similar feel (by design obviously) although they are much more a sit-down establishment - but mainly burgers and/or shakes. It's hugely popular with the teens - somehow, milkshakes have sufficient street cred in the correct setting. Americans must be onto something...

Good you are getting the same positive reaction up your way.

[Frank Erskine]

It'd be wise to banish kids altogether. Technically minors aren't capable of making a contract aka buying things, and of course comfort foods are largely to blame for childhood obesity..

[Ron Lowe]

Interestingly, Junior is currently the u13 club champion at the local Athletics club, and the Year2 athletics champion at school. He's also the UK u13 pole vault top rank.

He just did a mandatory health-check at school, and the results of this will go into the national stats which show how obese school kids are these days.

Using BMI, he was in the overweight verging on obese catergory. And he has not an ounce of fat on him. But he is muscular.

BMI is a crude measure. But Junior has added to the stats, right or wrong.

So you can't believe the stats. They don't seperate out non-fatty high BMIs.

[<me9]

BMI is crude and should not be applied to juniors.

[Arfa Daily]

We had the mural done to deliberately 'pull in' the large customer area, and it's been very successful at doing that. When it was just a plain wall, the area had a sort of big 'empty' feel to it. Interestingly, I've never seen this type of milkshake in America. My other daughter is a manager for the UK company that I believe actually started them.

Arfa

[Arfa Daily]

When I say 'kids', I'm talking teens rather than any little ones. If they are not spending with us, then they will be in the chip shop / pizza / Chinese takeaways in the same area, so it might as well be us that is relieving them of their money, rather than one of those. At least we have top quality ingredients going into our products ...

Arfa

[Tim Watts]

Wot? So kids can't technically go in any shop?

It's probably better they are hanging at Arfa's than round the back with a bottle of vodka..

[The Medway Handyman]

I had a row with the silly cow of a Practice Nurse at our local health centre over that a few years ago. She measured & weighed me and claimed I was obese.

I wouldn't describe myself as 'muscular without an ounce of fat', I could lose a few pounds, but I'm certainly not obese. I was in my youth a competition power lifter though.

Next visit to health centre, after some Google research, I told her that I have the same BMI as did Arnold Schwarzenegger when he won the Mr Olimpia title for the 7th time.

I suggested that, if Mr Schwarzenegger ever visited the centre, they should all chant "who ate all the pies".

On a similar vein, a while ago there was a reported X% increase in hospital admissions for alcohol related incidents. The health police loved this.

Where previously the Police had just thrown the drunk into a cell to sleep it off, they changed their policy & called an ambulance instead. The medics, having a duty of care, had no choice but to take the drunk to A&E to sleep it off.

Same number of drunks, different way of counting them.

[The Medway Handyman]

Comfort foods have nothing to do with obesity. Bad diet causes obesity.

[The Medway Handyman]

>

What did you use to cover the front of the curved section? Bendy MDF?

[fred]

Did you say you used pins to hold the bendy mdf ? Did you use adhesive also ? Did the Pinner drive the pins flush or beneath the surface ? Is the heavy duty vinyl thick enough to hide the pin heads if they were slightly proud or slightly depressed or did you drive them deep and flush over them with filler ?

All in all its a job to be proud of.

I don't think the outside does justice to the interior.

Paul Mc Cann