The Advertiser visited numerous restaurants in Boksburg to get a clearer picture of how they have been coping as one of the more heavily hit industries under the national lockdown. Many realities came to light but one thing which was crystal clear is how much these businesses have fought – and continue to fight – for the well-being and protection of their staff. Many owners also extended heartfelt words of gratitude to their respective landlords, whom they say have played a massive role in saving a lot of jobs and keeping their businesses afloat.
RocoMamas (Costa Carastavrakis, owner)
On business in lockdown: “We were allowed to open for trade of takeaways after five weeks of lockdown, so I consider ourselves so lucky that given the bad circumstances, that we’re allowed to trade at this level. We have a very strict head office with very strict controls. It’s taken investments on our parts to invest in extra chemicals, extra sanitisers, temperature guns and foot action sprays. Our compliance has been everything by the book. The biggest thing has been training – not only training once but it’s consistent training because the masks aren’t comfortable for staff.”
On public sentiment: “It’s a personal choice. We take huge care in making sure that if it’s your personal choice to be exposed to the public, we keep a safe distance from your table with markings, we sanitise your table before you sit and leave you alone. Only one waiter approaches your table; you don’t get cross-contamination from a manager or anybody else so it’s a personal choice and what we have found is customers who do come are very compliant. We not like the Americans, everybody is behaving themselves so it makes our job a lot easier.”
On alcohol ban: “We’re not seen as an alcohol brand or a party brand; we are a sit-down-and enjoy. Look, there are some guys who are missing their beer with their meal and for them we’ve got alcohol-free beers.”
On staff: “None of our staff have lost their jobs. We have made their survival our priority. We are very grateful for the government and the UIF that has assisted us. Yes, UIF came with its trouble but we didn’t stop fighting for the survival of our staff and the UIF has kept them afloat, that’s the first thing. Secondly, we have complied with the UIF and if you comply with the UIF, there’s no need to lay off staff. I want to say thank you to every customer.”
Ngalo’s Corner (Johannes Ngalo, owner)
On business in lockdown: “Business has been affected a lot because things have gotten more expensive and people don’t work anymore because companies have closed due to lockdown, so I don’t get as much support as I used to. Even the commission we got before lockdown we do not get anymore. I’d say my sales have dropped from 100 all the way to 33 per cent. My loyal customers don’t come anymore. The compliance is made easy by our customers because they maintain social distancing very well and everyone is wearing their mask. We do have hand sanitisers too.”
On public sentiment: “Customers come but not as often as before. Some still want to enjoy their meals here, but, unfortunately, they cannot. We make takeaways for them and they leave.”
On alcohol ban: “It doesn’t affect me as much because I do not sell alcohol but the youth that usually comes here say the food tastes better with beer, which affects me indirectly.”
On staff: “Our staff group is very little so we’ve been fortunate enough not to have to tell anyone that they’ve run out of a job.”
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Ferreira’s (Vincent Catanho, manager)
On business in lockdown: “We try to comply as the government says; we don’t do parties because of the gatherings. One to two people can sit down at a table and if it’s more than that, they must share tables because we can’t have more than two people at a table. We are managing with takeaways and obviously we don’t sell alcohol at the moment. It’s been very difficult but we try our best.”
On public sentiment: “They are more scared. You get all types of people. Some people still don’t believe the virus exists and some people are very cautious.”
On alcohol ban: “It’s affected us very badly – very, very badly. We get a lot of customers coming in to sit down and have a meal but without a glass of wine or beer, people get up and leave. It’s been very difficult for us. We just have to wait and see when they’re going to lift the ban so we can do better.”
On staff: It’s been very difficult for the staff. We have 43 staff members but we are only working with eight at the moment. We still pay those that are staying at home. I’m not saying full salaries but we’re still paying them something so they can carry on with their lives. We wait for about four hours at times without a customer entering the door. Waiters work mostly with tips, that’s how they make their money – so no customers no money. Those working are quite happy because they know that at the end of the month they get their pay. Those that are home keep asking to come back to work – but how are you going to come back if there are no customers? We feel the pain but if there are no customers, there are no sales, we can’t pay them.”
Andiccio 24 (Clara Namnick, marketing manager)
On business in lockdown: “We at Andiccio 24 have most certainly found that trading under these restrictive conditions is a challenge. Our business model is centred around being open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, boasting convenience and accessibility to all of our customers, and sadly the curfews that have been implemented have adversely affected our turnover.”
On public sentiment: “Customers are preferring and selecting our free contact-less delivery service over and above having to leave the safety of their own homes.
On staff: “The well-being of our staff members has been our primary concern over the past four months and they too would welcome the opportunity to revert to regular trading conditions. Our staff members have been specially trained with the enhanced protocols to ensure that we are compliant with the health and safety regulations, ensuring that our customers’ safety is prioritised.”
- The likes of Turn ‘n Tender and The House of Ribs remain permanently closed until further notice.
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