An occasional column by Rodger on dining in Raglan
We had some friends in town so headed down Bow St for breakfast just after 9am. The first cafe we came to was open, but there were no breakfast menus and there was no sign of any staff to ask, so we walked onto The Shack. Guided by the staff we selected a table for our group of six. As someone who worked in the service industries for many years, I often find myself evaluating experiences according to the value delivery model that I used as a consultant.
The first item to think about is image and reputation. The Shack is housed in a 1902 building that looks good and it is well presented inside so it scores highly on image. In terms of reputation it has strong positive word-of-mouth from very satisfied diners and on TripAdvisor it is rated Number 1 for Raglan restaurants. So 10/10 for reputation and image.
I ordered chickpea and corn fitters with bacon. The fritters were deep fried the right amount and looked good on the plate served with a tomato relish, a fried egg and chilli jam. Very tasty. Two of the others had French Toast-sour dough bread dipped in egg, with plum syrup and banana chip brittle, while one had the fry up and the other person had free range eggs over-easy with toast. Everybody was more than satisfied with their brekkies. So 10/10 for the quality of the meals.
The staff were friendly and obliging handing special reuest with ease so I’d give them 10/10 also.
Looking at price and costs most breakfasts would be in the range of $14 to $19, although you could have sourdough with jams for $6. Coffees and teas are at the standard prices in Raglan So the prices were OK. I’d give them 8/10. The other type of cost is what I call the hassle factor. Really the only one I can think of is the noise from the espresso machine. It is badly placed and this results in quite a bit of noise, so 7/10 for the hassle factor.
All in all The Shack is a great place for breakfast and I’d give it 9/10 overall in terms of value for money. That is no doubt why it is usually full at peak times on weekend mornings.
The Shack, 19 Bow Street, Raglan, ph 07 825 0027. Fully licensed and open seven days from 8am for breakfast and lunch and open for dinner on Friday and Saturday. theshackraglan.com