Ever wonder what’s really going on in the minds of the owners and staff who serve you in a restaurant. Well if they could wear their hearts on their sleeves, or at least on their T-Shirts, you may be in for a little surprise. […]
Read more →My speech at the Memorial Service of Ben Filmalter As I look around the room, I know exactly what Ben would say if he was here… “Who the hell is watching the stores?” There are some that say “you can judge a man by the company he […]
Read more →The Finest Meal I (N)ever Ate For years I have been saying that restaurants are so much more than just the food they serve. They are about service, about atmosphere, about the staff, about the welcome but more than anything else they are about how they make […]
Read more →The Mother of All Complaints! (Or… every complaint I ever read on Facebook and what the restaurant can do about it) There are very few customers that can see the kind of things I see when I walk into a restaurant. Knowing when to speak up, how […]
Read more →So I see a lot of bitching and moaning about restaurants on Facebook and other social media channels, some probably justified, some just drivel. How do you know when to complain and when not to? Here is a simple guide…
Read more →Will South African’s Pay Big Bucks for Starbucks? Perhaps that is not the real question; perhaps the real question is “Will South African’s Pay Big Bucks for Starbucks TWICE?” No one is under any illusion that South Africans will be hurrying along to try out the new […]
Read more →In 1999 an inspector from the department of labour arrived at my restaurant “Reel ‘n Rustic” in George. Having been forced to make the arduous journey from all the way across the park, he was already aggravated and aggressive. “I am here to investigate reports of gross […]
Read more →“Franchising in NOT a democracy” boomed the deep voice across the room. “This is my brand and I will protect it at all costs!” The statement above could conceivably have been heard at any one of hundreds of franchise meetings held each year around the country. Only […]
Read more →Another restaurant casualty! Two weeks ago I wrote in this blog “And rumours abound that Melrose Arch is to see a big casualty soon.” Last night on arriving at Melrose Arch I see that Mangiare has closed it’s doors. I wrote about the debacle at Melrose Arch […]
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