Page 17 - FWG Issue 5 June 2023

Estate News

THE GARDENS BISTRO,

AN ASSET TO OUR ESTATE?

This refurbishment cost us R1.6 million, have managed to double the turnover,
Last year, we conducted a which was taken from reserves, which expand the venue’s capacity to 204 seats,
proper assessment of the included professional fees and landscaping. provide a space that adds value to our
estate and, most importantly, have become
estate’s restaurant, from its Our new operators contributed R1.3 million valued members of the Fourways Gardens
financial health to the décor to the refurbishment, excluding the operating community. They deliver a service that is
stock, which is now the property of Fourways
open from 8am to 10pm daily and that
and service levels. Gardens. Mike and Belinda have also taken features a daily meal drop-off facility and
over R190 000 worth of monthly operating numerous events and functions.
costs from the HOA (staff, water, cleaning,
electricity, licences and pest control). They have introduced an ice cream parlour
for kids, inter-estate cricket matches, Friday
At an arrangement of R0 in rental for two sundowners with music and cosy winter
years and no special levy, this is the net warmers complete with blankets and a
result: a reduction in liabilities for the HOA, wood-burning fireplace.
an enhancement of assets for the estate, and
a beautiful space that everyone can enjoy. It’s safe to say that they have upped our
game considerably and we thank them for
In just over six months, Mike and Belinda their efforts.

For those of you who can’t remember what the restaurant looked
like before the refurbishment:
It went from this… to this… in 31 days.

Problems
We found that from January to September
2022, the restaurant’s average monthly
turnover was R550 000, excluding VAT.
Monthly profits averaged R37 000, Now we must just keep upping our game. With that in mind, we asked residents to tell us
excluding VAT. A total of 21 staff members how they’re feeling about The Gardens Bistro, and this is what you said:
were employed and were under contract to
the HOA.

Before a single plate of food was served,
we discovered that the restaurant owed
R2.29 million a year in HOA liabilities.
In addition, there was a daily barrage
of complaints about the facility and its
offerings. Something had to be done.

Solutions
Seven operators were invited to tender.
Ten residents volunteered to be part of a
selection panel to assess the tenders and
select one. This was done in just two weeks.

It then took 31 days to refurbish the venue Thank you for your comments and feedback. We will use this information to
as the costs of closing the restaurant for
an extended period were prohibitive. inform ourselves about the next steps to take and service improvements to make.

Fourways Gardens • 15 • June 2023