Cindy Muller, owner of South Africa’s GOLD Restaurant, shares her experiences of running a restaurant during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cindy’s determination to prioritise safety, care for her staff, and maintain the authenticity of her business offer valuable insights into the challenges faced by the restaurant industry. Cindy’s story is inspiring and serves as a reminder of the resilience and adaptability required to survive and thrive during difficult times.
GOLD Restaurant, which offers an interactive entertainment and culinary experience featuring dishes from various African countries, faced numerous challenges during the pandemic. With limited capacity and the emergence of the Omicron variant in November 2021, Cindy had to make tough decisions about when and how to reopen her restaurant. However, she was determined to prioritise the safety of her staff and guests, implementing strict protocols to ensure everyone was protected.
Cindy also spoke about the importance of taking care of her staff during this difficult time, prioritising their needs above all else. She believes that businesses will be remembered for how they treated their staff during the pandemic, and hopes that the industry will move towards treating waitering as a profession rather than just a stop-gap job.
Despite the challenges she faced, Cindy remained committed to her business and her staff. She divided her staff into three teams to work on a rotating schedule, even though the restaurant was not making much money. She also made the decision to reopen her restaurant despite restrictions on serving alcohol and limited capacity, in order to provide employment for her staff.
Looking to the future, Cindy plans to keep some of the protocols implemented during the pandemic, such as daily sanitisation and inclusive decision-making, going forward. Cindy’s experiences offer valuable insights into the challenges faced by the restaurant industry during the pandemic, and the importance of putting people first. As the industry looks towards the future, it will be critical to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of staff and guests, and to treat waitering as a profession worthy of respect and fair compensation.
Tune in to A Conversation with Cindy Muller for an engaging and informative discussion on the restaurant industry’s future. Log onto https://goldrestaurant.co.za/ for more information.
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