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www.thevillagenews.co.za
29 July 2020
blowing their horns in support, and local musicians performing at several venues. While some restaurants such as Fisherman’s Cottage, The Wine Glass and Café 1904 had opted to put their tables and chairs on the side of the road so that traffic down Main and Harbour Roads was not disrupted, other restaurants, including Char’d, Lemonicious, Fusion and Burgundy had blocked off Market Road and Marine Drive by placing their tables and chairs in the street.
Initiated by the Restaurant Association of South Africa (RASA), this collaborative campaign invited It did not take long for SAPS and Law President Cyril Ramaphosa to take Enforcement officers to arrive and deup a seat at any of the empty tables mand that the streets be reopened. and engage with the industry on the This led to heated arguments as hardships they are enduring. The crowds gathered in front of Burgundy strict operating guidelines, including while restaurateurs, including Henri the ban on alcohol sales and the Grové of Fusion and Grove’s Café, Pe9pm curfew, continue to cripple one tri Hendriksz of Char’d and Pear Tree, of South Africa’s best-loved trades Rudolf van der Berg of Burgundy and while restaurateurs are doing Anton Verhoogt everything in their power to PHOTO: of Fisherman’s survive and save the jobs Taylum Cottage of their staff. Meyer tried to Disappointingly, the President did not refer to the restaurant industry or the protests once during his address the following evening, but just about everyone else has sat up and taken notice of the restaurants’ plight. Here in Hermareason nus, the protest was enthusiastically with the traffic supported by the public and there officials. Counwas a joyful atmosphere throughout cillors Jean Orban the town, with passing motorists
PHOTO: Hedda Mittner
F
irst came the social media posts of restaurateurs and their staff, holding up signs that declare how many jobs each business provides – and how many have already been lost. Then came the nationwide peaceful protest on Wednesday, ‘Million Seats on the Streets’, with the hashtag #Jobssavelives, which saw restaurants placing their tables and chairs in the street adjacent to their premises from 12:00 to 14:00.
PHOTO: Hedda Mittner
Restaurants unite in protest
PHOTO: Taylum Meyer
and Kari Brice, as well as Deputy Mayor Elnora Gillion arrived to try and mediate between the parties and, thankfully, the issue was finally resolved and the show could go on. Cases have been opened against the offending restaurateurs but one of them, Rudolf van der Berg of Bur-
ABOVE LEFT: Shane Sauvage of La Pentola (left) and Rudolf van der Berg of Burgundy preparing boeries for those who had come out in support of the restaurants. ABOVE: Fisherman’s Cottage moved its tables and chairs out onto Harbour Road, where supporters joined in a free (and delicious!) snoek and patat braai. LEFT: At Char’d and Pear Tree, several tables were occupied by owner Petri Hendriksz’s giant teddy bears. FAR LEFT: Joke Gonggrijp, the owner of Dutchies and Ficks, was joined by a group of supporters as they danced in Marine Drive during the protest.
gundy, says it was important to him to take a stand for the restaurant’s 63 staff members, most of whom live in Zwelihle. “I don’t normally do this kind of thing,” he says, “but it’s our unemployed staff who will suffer the most. The reality is that people are frustrated and fed up.” Further initiatives are being planned by the local hospitality sector, follow-
ing a meeting on Monday between the owners of various accommodation establishments, restaurants and other tourism stakeholders, including Cape Whale Coast Tourism Manager, Frieda Lloyd and Deputy Mayor of the Overstrand, Elnora Gillion. All agreed that the narrative that needs to be pushed now is that ‘Hermanus is open!’. – Hedda Mittner
