What's wrong with restaurants, bars, pubs, etc?
HneelG
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Why is it that such places are always rejected, while the guidelines show several examples of these being eligible?
Just check and look for "Popular spots where locals gather but are lesser-known outside the community" or "Tourist spots that showcase local flavor and culture and that make your city/neighborhood unique".
Nevertheless it's always rejected for being "generic business". Even if they clearly have historic or cultural value or are the only such place in rural area's.
Some people complain about playgrounds or trail markers while at the same time rejecting high quality POIs. What gives?
And this is not something new from wayfarer. This has been going on for years and the examples I mentioned aren't new either.
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Comments
There are a couple of different reasons; first you have to look at yourself, is what you're providing in your submissions painting an interesting enough picture. "Joe Smith's Pub" Local hotspot, great place to hangout. 1* Generic business, I got a breakfast place up in NH accepted because I put in a detailed enough description as to why it is unique.
Second, if you don't paint a good picture with your description, I at least assume that the business could on it's own take part in Niantic's small/medium sponsorship. So you need to do a good enough job making the case that it is something interesting and worthwhile.
As redrunner says above, it's on the submitter to give evidence in the description why it's a local hot spot or significant. I reviewed one that just said "local hot spot" in the description, and in supporting details said, "Niantic says local hot spots are automatic 5*. Easy agreement." But I had no clue what the place was or why it was a hotspot, so it got 1*.
Other ones say, "40 year old locally owned and unique diner," that also is architecturally unique, which I check on Yelp that has thousand reviews and is very popular, that one is great.
Or a new local microbrewery with an outdoor patio and live music thoughout the week - that's great! But tell me about it in the description, don't make me guess as to why it is a local hot spot.
I wouldn't say that the evidence should be in the description but in the supporting statement. I only try to keep the description as simple as possible as that stays in game forever but the supporting statement can and should be used to expand on the facts provided.
People are denying pubs and bars now? lmao the hivemind is real
They are buisnesses, so people thinks that trumps any condisions they may meet under hidden gems and hyper-local spots.
In the entire time i've been playing ingress pubs and bars have always been an instant accept. No reason not to accept them at all.
There are a lot of other types of businesses that should be "instant accept" or at least very strong candidates for hidden gems/hyper-local spots, but they are instantly rejected because people look at all nominations that are a business should be rejected.
Maybe it's a local/cultural thing. In my country, the Netherlands, i don't know of any restaurant/bar/pub that is a portal. And I haven't seen any for review in wayfarer either.
Has there ever been a time when restaurants were forbidden?
Many older ingress reviewers seem genuinly surprised when told that local hotspots ore places with historic value are eligible.
because some old guidelines were never properly demystified...and abit open to interpretation...do bars fall under "no adult oriented businesses or services "
they do have updates that explain more and even change some of the previously ineligible rules...but if enough dont bother reading these...or r influenced by the local community...it doesnt matter
I really want to know why free libraries r for most automatic approves even when u can buy a kit and post it anywhere...so are all really insta-approves? or does the residential ban apply?
bars? I reject **** clubs [obvious], bar/restaurant franchises (unless they have interesting history or local importance that I can verify)..or if they list nothing as to why they aren't completely boring
If you really want a restaurant or pub to become a portal/pokestop, talk with the owner and get him to sponsor the game.
https://nianticlabs.com/sponsoredlocations/
You do realize that the sponsorship is only for Pokemon Go. It does not affect any of the other games nor does it mean that reviewers should rejected a hyper-local spot simply because it is a business.
That is something I've been hearing a lot from local PoGo communities. "Well, if that business wants advertising they can pay for it we shouldn't give it to them for free" that's absolutely the wrong mentality. Regardless of if we should be supporting small businesses or not, our reviewing guidelines still say to accept unique places in our communities especially since wayspots are for Niantics database and not just one game.
But how do you judge if some caffe or restaurant is unique? It's an entirely subjective opinion. Trusting supporting statements is not an option, people write all kind of lies and nonsense to get their portal approved.
Independently owned, with an interesting/unique theme running through the place makes it good enough to become a portal.
For example, near where I live we have Alice in Wonderland themed cafe where you can book a table and have afternoon tea, the place is decorated like the mad hatters tea party and the staff are all in costume and character to give you an Alice in Wonderland experience.
We also have a movie themed restaurant called Oscars which is absolutely covered in old movie merch, signed photos and has a full sized dr who dalek inside.
I'd argue that being "the only such place in rural area's" is not evidence in favor of making a restaurant/bar into a portal. Of course it's popular if it has no competition, but that doesn't mean it's a good bar/restaurant. The only restaurant in town can usually afford to be average, because there's no place else to go!
Niantic gave us three conditions to evaluate against businesses.
If a business meets any one of those three conditions, then it should be approved. Unfortuantly, most of the reviewers evaluating business nominations aren't even going that far and simply auto-reject the nominations because the reviewers are more likely to get agreements that way.
Then that would mean it naturally meets condition #2 of the Hidden gems and hyper-local spots criteria, and thus is an eligible wayspot.
Like hell it does.
How does it not meet condition #2?
The problem with Wayfarer right there.
I don't remember if it was an AMA or where, but places that serve alcohol were specifically specified to be valid potential candidates whereas things like liquor stores were not.
It's in the guide in Wayfarer. No AMA needed.
Sweet. I knew it was somewhere
Help > Ineligible Wayspots
"Including liquor stores, adult entertainment, **** ranges, firearm stores, etc. Establishments that serve alcoholic beverages like bars and pubs are acceptable. "
Specifically there, @cmonineedaname.
(It took me longer than I'd care to admit to figure out how to "pronounce" your name.)
For a restaurant you could mention the awards that it has won. Michelin stars and the like. Or decribe their historic value. All things that could be checked with google. But how many reviewers take effort in that? Or even read the description at all, after they've seen restaurant in the title? And how do you prove that a place is a local hotspot? That's even harder.
Because even in the smallest towns everyone has an opinion which is "better"
And in a big city suddenly you end up with 10 sushi joints and 20 coffee shops downtown
Obviously
ALCOHOL is not age appropriate and as per Niantic is a 1* insta reject
literally every pub in britain is a portal lol. and if anyone ever finds one that isn't it gets submitted and instantly accepted, got a new one accepted this morning.
Niantic says bars and pubs are eligible. It right there in Wayfarer.
Help > Ineligible Wayspots
"Including liquor stores, adult entertainment, **** ranges, firearm stores, etc. Establishments that serve alcoholic beverages like bars and pubs are acceptable. "
It's right there.