The Restaurant industry is one of the hardest hit due to the Corina Virus in South Africa, having had to endure five weeks of complete closure, then restricted to Food Deliveries in May, allowed to offer Alcohol Sales and Food Collections during June, and now allowed to offer Sit-Down Service without on-site alcohol consumption since Monday 29 June. As an industry employing an estimated 800000 employees, the UIF and TERS problems it has had to endure in receiving (or not) staff payment has exacerbated the state of the restaurant industry, described by Chefs Warehouse Chef Liam Tomlin earlier this week as being reduced to nothing more than one of Coffee shops!
Many restaurants have decided to not open for Sit-Down Service currently, until they can offer on-site consumption of alcoholic beverages, and will continue to offer the Delivery and Collection of Food and Alcohol. Continue reading →
Yesterday I visited Splash Café at the Vineyard Hotel, having parked close to it, to attend the Strauss & Co Art Auction. Clearly named after the king size pool onto which the Café opens, I was left with a sinking feeling of despair about one of the worst service experiences in a long time! 
The Sweet Service Award goes to the Twelve Apostles Hotel, and its F & B Manager Hilton Ruch. On my way home from dancing at Constantia Nek recently, I stopped by at their Café for a dry cappuccino. Not expecting Hilton to be at work after 22h00, I asked one of the staff to pass on my regards to him. She told me he was still at work, and called him. He chatted, and told me about their new Vegan High Tea, a first in Cape Town it would seem, as well as other news. The dry cappuccino was perfectly made, and they have marshmallows too, a weakness. When I requested the bill, I was told that Hilton had taken care of it,