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  Lani Opperman

  March 5, 2014

  Dear EATOUT 2014

  Your magazine is lovely.
  Herewith an email to 95Keerom in Cape Town that is self-explanatory.
  Regards
  Lani Opperman

  “Dear 95 Keerom

  Goodness so many rules!! We were looking forward to a lovely relaxing evening and to enjoy the friendly and stylish Cape but our appetites have been destroyed and we are hesitant to intrude in your kingdom… (Suffice to note that we received the “95 Keerom Statute”.)
  I honestly do not want to infer that it is the kind of clientele you draw that forced you to issue these written rules on basic good manners. I will also not take it as an insult to prospective patrons, but;

  Who takes food items into a restaurant that is suppose to have such a good reputation and does it happen on such a scale that written rules must be distributed? I have this picture of people taking their KFC into your establishment. Appetite killer for sure. Suggestion: Deal with the culprits and do not spoil it for prospective patrons in this manner.
  South Africa has a Constitution that was promulgated in 1996 and it guarantees the citizens of this beautiful and hospitable country a certain degree of freedom; I presume the amount of food you (as a citizen of the Republic of South Africa) choose to consume falls within this ambit. How can you force people to eat a minimum of two courses? Again, I have this picture of waiters forcing food into the mouths of your guests and making them swallow. Do you perhaps have cash-flow problems and are you trying to increase your income with this “tax” on the poor consumer?
  On page 158 of the EatOut Magazine 2014 you advertise a corkage fee of R40-00. This implies that patrons are invited to bring their own wine; corkage fee applicable. Your comprehensive rules contradict the invitation/advertisement and is therefore a misrepresentation: I quote: “We kindly ask our guests to refrain from bringing their own wine.” Further and more absurdly ( Is this a suggestion that your clients are cheap drunks?): “Only one 750ml bottle of wine per table is allowed”. Perusal of the mentioned magazine and years of travels around the world convinced me that it is the norm that patrons who are hesitant about the quality/choice of the wine list are free to choose to bring their own wine and pay the prescribed fee. A good restaurants surely has enough confidence so as not to force their choice of wine on their customers.
  Your fear of “no shows” is understandable; well to a certain extent. I would have been willing to pay ten thousand rand in deposit. It is however unacceptable that, in the event of a cancellation, you demand that I phone until I can speak to a manager and that emails and voice mails on your own answering machine will not be acceptable. Emails and voice mails are a legal form of communication (it is after all the 21st century) and the fact that you do not deal with it diligently and professionally on your part cannot be made the problem of the courteous and well mannered patrons that cancel appropriately through this medium. Do you perhaps deem my time less valuable than yours? The above indicate that “no shows” may be due to your negligence and not your good clientele.

  YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE PROOF OF PAYMENT OF A DEPOSIT OF R200-00 PER PERSON VIA FAX OR EMAIL AND I AM NOT GOING TO DARE TO MAKE MY CREDIT CARD DETAILS AVAILABLE TO SUCH A “STRICT AND AUTOCRATIC REGIME”. YOU KNOW THE RULES AND YOU KNOW WHAT THE INEVITABLE CONSEQUENCE IS.

  Regards and, really, all the best for the future in the hospitality business.
  Lani Opperman”

  Reply
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  Louisa Ceronion

  March 11, 2014

  Hi there

  Where does one vote for the nominated blogs? I do not see it anywhere on your site. Pse advise.

  Reply
1. 

   Eat Out

   March 13, 2014

   Hi Louisa. Sorry that you couldn’t find it. Here is the link: https://www.eatout.co.za/article/vote-favourite-local-food-blog/. Happy voting!