A LEAP OF FAITH - TIME TO LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG ...

[Cherry (Alcock)]

Let us know when you're coming through Bertie - we can meet up there.  Love to your folks too.

[SandyB]

UPDATE ...   The  shop running well and getting into the rythm ..  first month books  showing a small profit ... second month now that we have telephone line  high speed adsl and credit card machine on steroids ..  daily income  climbing .. we await  the saturday breakfast run .. just hope for windless  umbrella day on saturday  as the clients love to sit  on the balcony .. and the full balcony pulls in even more feet .. Our  Waitron staff  settled  down for now .. Shiela  quiet   lady Growing with us and blooming  ..  new guy Selso .. straight into the breach and there ...   the stalwarts .. Paul as partner and manager .. Gairo as front of house   sarmie prep .. waitron .. pro ..anything goes ... Linda   our chef a total gem ,, Jill the kitchen prep lady   coming  to the party ... Andiswe  the scullery  in training for kitchen prep as  when things pick up the chef gonna need  more support ...Phumla  our new housekeeper  helps with deep clean  3 x a week before doing the house  and  works scullery on saturday breakfast run ..   I'm truly grateful for  all those that have  elected  to  stick with us during this  adventurous startup ..  and to the quality that is migrating toward us .. I was doign a mindbender  last night ..  directly and indirectly  our little concern has generated employment  opportunity for  8 - 10 people ( thats temps included )  ..  there is a good team spirit . room for growth .. staff are  given a  lunch  once tings quieten down after kunch rush .... everybody happy ...    thanks for the  messages of support ...

[SandyB]

THE  DOWNSIDE - RUDE CUSTOMERS....
Apart from the  staff  and  supplier hassles ( having to reject chourizo ,  pork sausage etc for poor quality ),  staff not pitching on Saturday mornings             ...  there are  creatures called rude customers ..  first sort ,, they got spoilt by the never changing prices of the previous owners ( explains why they went out of business ) complain that  Oh !  your'e  so expensive ..  we look them calmly up and down and  say .. " look around  you , its all new  and fresh not dingy and  run down  as previously , the kitchen is new and clean and  the food quality is better  so yes  youre getting value  for  your money ,,We have invested a lot  in this  venture to ensure this to  the majority of our clients  who appreciate it " that puts them in the eyes as cheapskates  invariably they back down , and yes  then still come back  when they   realise they cannot chance their luck ...
Then you get cretins .. we had one such creature today ,  he arrived , then two eastern gentlemen ,  they sat  on the valuable balcony space .. ordered   something really light , no  value added coffee etc  and then  spent two hours sipping the free  water  ice  and lemon , holding a business meeting , but how well was this cheapskate  prepared  he  did not even have a folder  on which to write , instead hogging one of the menu covers .. we had another rush  and due to the fact that  we  were doing re printing of menus  we  did not have enough to go around ..so  Selso our one waitron  asked if  he  could  have the menu .. this  cretin shouted at him , cant you see I'm busy !!!  I  very nearly got  up and  went  to him to  say " do not be rude to my staff "  but  bit my tongue , we are a start up venture  so sometimes better to let things go , but hoo boy  if we were spinning over  I would have put him in his place ,,,  one thing we  want to encourage is  business meetings but then not with cheapskates ...  use the venue  theres lots of tables inside  and yes in future come prepared with  folder and clipboard ... next time he is ever so rude I will  use right of admission reserved ,,  Uughh !!

[Cherry (Alcock)]

Oh yeah ... those cretins come with the territory!  Looking forward to the booking for my team this coming Friday - we will all come hungry! 

[Patricia Lotte]

Oh yeah ... those cretins come with the territory!  Looking forward to the booking for my team this coming Friday - we will all come hungry! 

... so get the free water with ice and lemon ready Sandy ... 

[Cherry (Alcock)]

  I like your thinking Patricia!  Maybe we should just ask for 3 breakfasts to share .... do need to look after the budget!

[Bertie Horak]

No, Cherry. Just buy some MacDonalds on your way, and pack it out on the table. 
Sandy, throw them off the balcony... you'll have many people to come see where it happened when it hits the papers!

[SandyB]

10 /10  trust me  its happened to  a friend that owns a  restaurant as well ,  3 women  arrived  ordered  coffee and proceeded to  take out cake they ahd bought elswhere ... told her she  should have charged them cakage ( a play on corkage ) ....

[Cherry (Alcock)]

Even better Bertie, I'll buy breakfast from their competition and then eat it there!   

[SandyB]

Dead  woman walking .. we have some news ....we have no opposition .....     

[toonfandangl]

Sandy do you think your Chef is on the Michelin star rating!  watched a program the other night on how they award the chefs with a Michelin star, one star up to four star Chefs  .  They have these spy's for the want of a better description go around and order a meal off the menu, at randomly selected restaurant's. Then at the end of the year, their experience's at these restaurant's (they may visit the same restaurant two or three times in the year) of the meals are measured up and in January of the following year Michelin award the Chef with a star or they can take away a star. "Gordon Ramsay" has twelve of these stars so beware if you have a Scottish sort of speaking person visit your restaurant, and ask for egg and chips!. Good luck in your venture sometimes a little of it can take you to greater achievements.................................................

[Bertie Horak]

We better be careful, Cherry. You never know what happens to our order in the kitchen before we receive it.... maybe the resident cat is asked to lick the plate first, he-he.

[SandyB]

Hi Frank , no  not on Michelin  rating , just a good food cooking type of person ..  why I say we have no opposition , we have only had good wishes from all the other eateries  in the road , each  one has  an aim at a different segment of the market  and have different operating hours  ... we all agree  on the  expression of " your  success  is our success"  the more  folk drawn to Roodebloem road as a  place to eat ,, a destination  the more success for all concerned ... we leave  the michelin tyres   to the speedsters 

[SandyB]

Aplologies for this boykie being so quiet on this site ...  we been busy ... update .. January  a surprise ... february  intersting month with everybodys debt load  from december coming home to roost plus  school fees uniforms  etc ... then March  also interesting ..  seems  many still sufering debt hangover ... but yes we pulling through ...   we have done  Sunday buffet   lunches as private functions  . ( we not normally open on a sunday )  a breakfast  birthday  for  54  the one sunday ,, and now this friday night we did a wedding reception   for  40 ...  hell the place looked like a bomb hit it ( we closed at 01:30 ) and had to  have place cleaned  by 08:30 the next morning  and we had people  wanting coffee at 07:30 when we arrived ... thank goodness the front part of the shop looked reasonably  decent   to alow them to  sit  down  .. apologised . for the mess and cleaning activity . they understood our normal hours are from 08:00 onwards ... when they left we could complete ..  anyhow day went well ... all a bit tired cos of the hours and ending up partying as well ...  but yes we wnet to bed early last night .. and slept in late today .. did a nice braai slept again .. tonight  did the books  and now chilling a bit .. Helooo  Oranjemunders .. Im still alive ...

[Bertie Horak]

Thanx for the update Sandy!  Glad it's going well. It will only get better. Hard work though, hey. But that's part of growing, so ENJOY!