Booze ban: Illegal sales under the table as outlets fight for survival

Desperate restaurant owners are defying the liquor ban, risking massive fines and losing their liquor licences to save their struggling businesses and jobs.

“We are fighting for our lives,” said one owner who sells alcohol under the table, despite Police Minister Bheki Cele’s warning to
restaurants not to undermine the law by selling drinks in “teapots”.

Since the start of the ban, the restaurant’s turnover dropped by 60%.

“We have eight stores nationwide with each employing about 40 staff. A total of 35 staff had to be retrenched; 35 families have
now lost an income. It has been extremely difficult.

“Besides, we cannot afford to lose our liquor licence,” he said.

Wendy Alberts, chief executive of the Restaurants Association South Africa (RASA), said restaurants were dying a slow death – not because of the virus, but lockdown regulations banning the sale of alcohol.

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“I am not aware of restaurants selling alcohol, but it is a time of desperation for restaurants.

“If they are not doing what they are doing, who is going to pay their rent,” Alberts asked. “There’s no relief from their landlords and there’s no relief from insurance companies.”

Diners use codes such as “hot chocolate” to indicate they want a drink with their meal – but it comes at a hefty price: “spicy coke”
(brandy and coke) will cost you R65 per glass and “spicy lime and soda” (vodka, lime and soda) R75.

Following a complaint about “drinks under the table” by a Johannesburg resident whose claim fell on deaf ears at her local police station, The Citizen went looking for “hot chocolate”.

At one restaurant, the available tables, spaced at the required 1.5m from each other, were filled with young people and staff made sure we went through the usual sanitising and mask-wearing protocols before being seated while music played loudly.

After placing an order for a burger and “hot chocolate”, the waitress raised an eyebrow and asked if we were sure, before saying she needed to ask the manager if she could serve us the special order.

When the waitress returned, we were offered two options: brandy or vodka.

Afterwards, when asked if the leftover drink could be poured into a takeaway cup, the waitress refused.

“I can’t do that, it is illegal,” she said.

The next day, The Citizen phoned the manager, who immediately denied selling alcohol and said he was not on duty the previous day.

“No, no, no, we don’t sell alcohol. You have to prove it,” he said.

After showing the receipt for “spicy coke” and “spicy lime and soda”, the owner said he was unaware the restaurant was selling alcohol.

READ MORE: Alcohol ban: Liquor traders losing an estimated R300m a day

“It could be the manager and we will have to deal with it,” said the owner.

Another restaurant offered wine with the food order. Other beverages, such as beer, were also offered. One owner said he had to sell alcohol to make ends meet and keep the business alive.

“We have to do this to survive,” the owner said.

At another restaurant, a Rosebank police vehicle was parked outside and its driver, who later identified himself as the Rosebank police spokesman, was talking to the owner.

The cop later told The Citizen they had received complaints about the illegal sale of alcohol at the restaurant.

After he had left, the owner said he had had to tell two of his four bartenders not to come into work any more because business
was so bad.

Alberts said government had not stepped up in helping.

“We talk about Covid-19 being a killer,” said Alberts. “Losing jobs has been more of a killer now in our industry and people are starving.

“Our restaurant staff will be dying soon if we don’t find a way to bring workable solutions to keep the restaurant industry open and afloat.”

– news@citizen.co.za

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