Eateries: tough times on menu

RESTAURANTS: REPRESENTATIVE TELLS OF BATTLES; CYRIL’S DOUBLE BLOW

‘We’re trying, but without warning we are shut down with no alcohol and a curfew.

In the hours before President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement of the liquor ban, the managers and workers at Italian restaurant Del Forno in Flora Park, Roodepoort, were already preparing for the worst.

Although the place was open with tables laid in the hope for a few sit-in customers, the restaurant was only populated by staff.

But the parking lot was abuzz with revving delivery scooters ready for deliveries to customers who were largely staying away from the outside world.

Wendy Alberts, chief executive officer of the Restaurants Association of SA (Rasa), was notably frustrated and spoke with deep concern as she relayed some of the stories she had to listen to daily – of members finally deciding to shut down after months of hoping against hope.

“If there is truth in the numbers of the government in terms of the hospitals then we have to respect the leadership of the country,” she said. But after months of a mostly one-sided attempt to collaborate with the government on viable solutions for the industry, it was left with little leverage to fight with, except in the courts.

About 400 000 jobs are in the balance as, according to Alberts, hundreds of establishments are already closing their doors indefinitely. A few had hopes of reopening in September, by which she hoped the ban would be lifted.

On the morning after Ramaphosa’s announcement, Alberts was sitting with lawyers discussing the options available to her members who found themselves unable to run a proper dinner service and unable to sell liquor, which accounts for at least half the revenue in much of the industry.

Establishments representing over 100 000 liquor licences which have been rendered useless the past few months, were teaming up to each sue government for a R7 000 rebate due to them for the nonuse of their licences. This class action suit, if successful, could cost the government more than R1 billion.

“We have reopened our restaurants, we are there, we are fighting, we are trying to restart the economy,” said Alberts, a restaurant owner herself.

“We are trying to save jobs; trying to save livelihoods and without consultation and any warning we are shut down with a double blow – no alcohol and a curfew.”

Ramaphosa’s latest decisions followed a shocking surge in daily Covod-19 cases, which was attributed to the reopening of several industries, fewer restrictions and the unbanning of liquor sales.

Private and public health sector bodies have decried the increase in trauma cases, which have been linked to alcohol abuse, placing a burden on an already fragile health system. The new restrictions were put in place as an attempt to curb this.

Staff at a popular Sandton bistro were left with no income and an uncertain future since the restaurant closed its doors in March. When it reopened for deliveries and takeaways recently, a chef at the establishment claimed most of them had been left out in the cold. Financial constraints led to management to leave some of its permanent staff on hiatus.

“When sit-downs opened, everybody went back to work except the chefs. The owner replaced them with chefs from his wife’s shop. Since then we have been struggling to pay rent,” said the chef.

The tourism industry was sounding similar warning bells about mass retrenchments, which could see most of its 600 000 jobs shed. This grave warning came from the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA).

The group’s board held an urgent meeting to “discuss a way forward” for the sector, following numerous attempts to convince government to allow a phased reopening of the tourism sector.

The industry suffered a daily R748 million loss, said Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, CEO of TBCSA.

“We have tried appealing to government since Level 3 to no avail, he said, implying the group wanted to take action to force government to intervene.

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