Livelihoods, including 500 000 people employed in restaurants across the country are in trouble if the industry is not allowed to reopen their doors and offer sit-down services.
The Tourism Department say they understand the need, and are drafting a proposal to allow restaurants to offer sit-down services under Level 3 lockdown.
Speaking during a media briefing on Saturday, May 30, Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said, her department has noted much public demand for sit-down services to be allowed again. The department plans to submit a proposal to the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) for consideration.
“We are in discussions with restaurants so that whatever solution is provided in this regard for sit-down doesn’t perpetuate the inequality, and we are confident that in our next submission to NCCC this will be considered.
“Once this has been considered by the NCCC, we will be able to make pronouncements” she said.
The restaurant industry has also been calling for sit-down services to be allowed as frustration mounts over strict lockdown regulations.
On the front line in the battle to keep restaurant businesses alive is The Restaurant Collective, a lobby group that says the nationwide lockdown has nearly killed the restaurant industry. Many restaurants have reportedly been operating at a loss due to high operation costs associated with relying on delivery only.
In an interview with Daily Maverick, Tashas founder Natasha Sideris said, the restaurant industry in South Africa, which represents 13 000 sit-down restaurants, employs 500 000 people directly as well as tens of thousands of farmers, suppliers and other service providers, may halve in size as a result.
“You have to understand, restaurants in South Africa were already living hand to mouth before the lockdown. They have no savings, no cash balances on their books – it is impossible to save when you are earning a margin of 7% to 8%,” Sideris told Daily Maverick.
Some restaurants have had to shut their doors amid financial strain, including popular Mother City eateries such as The Kitchen, Brownies and Downies, and smak.
Even Wolfgat, the Western Cape’s very own internationally-recognised restaurant of the year, is struggling to stay afloat despite being one of the most popular before the lockdown started.
Restaurants reopening for sit-down services would have to employ strict hygiene protocols to ensure social distancing. Across the world, many restaurants have gotten creative to enforce this.
The Penguin Eat Shabu hotpot in Thailand have added plastic barriers to their tables.
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Mediamatic Eten in Amsterdam have created miniature greenhouses for restaurant-goers to dine in and maintain social distancing.
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Café & Konditorei Rothe in Germany has guests wear hats with pool noodles attached.
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Picture: Pixabay