The owner of Orange Restaurant in Nelspruit is one of those women – and with a career that started at the tender age of 15, one can rest assured that a dining experience at Orange is not to be missed.
Lee Ann started as a waitress at the age of 15 and worked hard in the industry, working her way up and managing a few restaurants before finally taking the bull by the horns and at age 26 purchased her first restaurant. That restaurant was Costa Do Sol. Once she had Costa Do Sol successfully and firmly on the map, she turned her hand to catering and events for business across the Mpumalanga region. During this time, Orange Restaurant went on the market and it was too good an opportunity to miss. Lee Ann took over there in 2011 and has built the iconic restaurant to what it is today.
In discussion with Lee Ann about what makes her a success she says, “Running a restaurant is like being a mother, you have to manage chaos and you’re in charge of a bunch of different personalities. It means being a part of a family. Usually a slightly dysfunctional one, but a family nonetheless! Nothing is accomplished independently though and I have relied on my amazing staff to get me where I am today. They are all my ‘Children’ and I try to be generous, and yet stern. In return, they call me ‘Mamma Goose’ and they are loyal to a fault. I have a very low staff turnover and my staff stick with me for years – and because of that I have flow in the restaurant because everyone knows each other so well that we function like a well-oiled machine!”
“A restaurant relies on its reputation and aside from delicious food and exceptional service, I believe it’s the little touches that make my restaurant a success.
Lee Ann is one of the longest running female restaurateurs in the Lowveld, and her life lessons and growth in the industry have created a fine-dining establishment where business men hold their strategy meetings, politicians discuss topics of the day, couples celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary and where men go down on bended knee to propose to their beloved.
Orange is one of THE places to be and even through a challenging two years the doors are still open, people are still celebrating their special moments, and thankfully, they are choosing to do that at Orange.
