Lousy quality, arrogant staff, unappreciative, downright rude and completely overpriced! No, I am not referring to Johannesburg’s restaurants; I am talking about the Mail & Guardian. Twenty Three Friggin Rand And Fifty Cents for a newspaper? Recycled articles I can often read online, published days after they may appear on twitter, adverts on almost every second page that both the advertiser and I are paying for and now, throw in some serious moaning disguised as journalism and you have a pretty good understanding why circulation of newspapers the world over is fading faster than newsprint in the sun.
Nothing stirs my blood more than reading some Tjop babbling on about how poor the quality, lousy the view and expensive the prices are in Johannesburg’s restaurants. Restaurants are not about the food, they are about how they make you feel and although I am no psychologist I would imagine that if you walked in feeling slightly inadequate you may walk out feeling the same. Of course you could always go home and do your best to slate everyone and everything in the hope that getting a few agreeable nods and pompous chirps at your next privately hosted dinner party (Where I am certain you will manufacture a view for your guests) will make you feel much better about yourself.
Restaurants are an intricate balance of Commerce, Art & Passion and all too often a lack of concentration on the Commerce side leads to the speedy decline and quick death of the restaurants in question. Greenside of a few years back was a very fine example of this… Award winning restaurants that never saw their second season. I have said it before and I will say it again “If you want to know the best restaurant in town, don’t ask a food critic (or a newspaper editor trying to fill columns and sell papers) just ask your bank manager” No, he (or she) does not eat in all of them, he (or she) sees the deposit slips. Restaurants are in Show Business! Not Show TIME or Show FUN but Show BUSINESS.
They have overheads to pay, staff to look after, loans to service and profits to generate for STEAK holders. They are operating in an extremely competitive environment under trying circumstances. They offer employment countrywide to hundreds of thousands of unqualified staff seeking their first jobs or an opportunity to better themselves. Locations are expensive, views are few and far between and customers, feeling the pinch themselves, are reluctant to hand over their hard earned cash unless they see value in return. To some the value is in the size of the portion, the taste of the dish or the rarity of the wine served. To others it is in how the restaurant makes them feel, how pleasant the staff or familiar the surroundings… whatever your fancy, you will find it in Johannesburg! (You will find it in Cape Town, Durban, Bloem, PE, Pretoria and almost every city and town you visit too!)
So spoil yourselves, go out for lunch, for dinner, breakfast or just a light snack or a cup of coffee… If the restaurant lets you down, let me know, I will take them to task personally. I will make a call, chat to the owner, discuss how things can be improved and get you some real feedback. I won’t write about it, bitch about it or moan about it, in the hope that somehow this will improve things for both you and the restaurant.
PS I like my Tjops rare… vary rare! Let me know when you are heading back to Cape Town, I will organise you a farewell lunch at one of Johannesburg’s finest, smokiest, nosiest, carcass infested, red wine serving, overpriced, limited view steakhouses… If we can get a booking!
PPS Can’t wait for the next Mail & Guardian Advertising Representative to try and sell some space to one of Johannesburg’s restaurants!
The post What A TJOP – More Bad Press For Restaurants appeared first on brandstrategy.co.za.
