‘We have been completely crippled’
Industry blames government for closures and not putting necessary standards in place to reopen safely
SAMEER NAIK sameer.naik@inl.co.za
THE Restaurant Association of South Africa (Rasa) has labelled the government “irresponsible” for not allowing eateries to fully reopen under level 3 regulations.
The association says since the national lockdown was implemented on March 26, the industry has suffered enormously, with thousands of restaurants forced to close permanently.
Currently, restaurants are only open for collection and delivery services but all sit-down services are forbidden until level 1.
“At this point, our restaurants are completely crippled,” said Wendy Alberts, the chief executive of Rasa.
“The industry is completely decimated as a result of the government not being able to put the necessary standards in place in order for us to open safely.”
The lockdown has left close to 800 000 people without an income, she said.
“There are hundreds of restaurants that have been forced to close. Daily, I’m getting people that are phoning me saying they are going into liquidation and closing because it’s too hard. They can’t survive on the margins. They don’t have any more funds, and the banks are not prepared to give funding.
“The banks have now put us as a high risk, many restaurants who had good relationships with their banks for over 30 years are now being turned away. The banks have simply said, ‘Sorry, you’re on your own. We can’t assist you, there is no funding from government’.”
The sector needs to reopen so that businesses can restart.
“All the government has done is abolished our business by forcing us to re-adapt our model and become businesses we are not.
“We are not takeaways and we’re not delivery services.
“How can they even begin to expect us to pay a 100% of our expenses on a 20% probability and a 100% competitive market.
It’s completely foolish of them to think we would commit such financial suicide.”
The Restaurant Collective, an association of sit-down restaurants including Ocean Basket, Tasha’s, Signature Restaurant and Famous Brands-signature
Brands, has also been advocating for level 3 to allow sit-down dining.
“All restaurants have been compliant and we have worked hand in hand with government,” said Alberts.
“We have been respectful of President Ramaphosa, we have been respectful of Covid-19, we have been respectful of the minister of tourism, but this is now getting to a point where we are decimated.”
Restaurants have continuously proven their readiness to reopen fully and safely.
“We have proved our readiness on every single account. We’ve definitely displayed exemplary behaviour in terms of slowing down the curve.
“We have done everything we were asked of by the government. We put all the protocols in place, looked after the staff and ensured consumers safety.
“We’ve even taken on the third party deliveries and made sure they are compliant and do what they need to do, so we certainly need to open up.”
Restaurants are “closing by the hour” and “there’s going to be nothing left for the industry if we don’t get the support from government to save the industry”.
“We’ve been monitoring what the rest of the world has been doing. We have forwarded all the world wide trends to government and have shown them how easily the industry has opened up around the world.
“It’s irresponsible on government’s part to allow the industry to bleed itself to death the way that we are.
Sanitisation, health standards, social distancing and wearing masks, is all part of the worldwide protocol in Covid-19 prevention.
“Just like how you would walk into a Pick n Pay and sanitise your hands and put on your mask, the same would apply at a restaurant.
“There is nothing that they are doing to the extreme in the rest of the world that South Africa suddenly needs to reinvent the entire restaurant industry,” the association said.