Second News Cafe outlet opens at Emperors Palace
News Cafe has opened a second outlet at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg. GM of the restaurant division of News Cafe Alan van der Westhuizen says, "The fact that one of our existing franchisees already boasted business interests in Emperors Palace made the process so much easier, as there existed an obvious synergy and a keen interest from the franchisee owners, Dawn and Pavendren Naidoo."
"We in turn completed a site assessment and considered all the statistics and demographic studies that the landlord had conducted. On that basis, we produced forecasts on the potential penetration and the viability of the outlet. This store is positioned on a great site in one of Johannesburg's premium hotel, casino and convention resorts. We have no doubt that it will trade above our group average and, given the dedicated management, it should prove to be one of our flagship stores within Johannesburg."
"Though we started trading on 14 December 2009, the official launch of the new store is 11 March 2010 and we are looking forward to a great turnout," adds van der Westhuizen.
The new News Cafe franchise is aimed at the higher end market, aged between 25 and 35. It provides a competitive outlet in the area, and draws customers for coffee, snacks and lunch during the day and cocktails and dinner in the evening.
The restaurant seats 171 people inside plus 40 at the bar and a further 123 patrons outside. It is open from 7am right through to 2am to accommodate the late night casino traffic patterns.
Van der Westhuizen explains: "We appreciate that guests coming into News Cafe may not necessarily be choosing us as a destination, as they may be going to or coming from the casino. For this reason, the service must be capable of handling the peak trading times that the casino experiences. We have invested a great deal of time in training at this store and hope that it continues to maintain the high standard that we have set."
The dcor reflects the need to service multiple requirements during the long trading hours. The design incorporates a front shop, separate coffee bar and a stylish restaurant and deli look to promote both breakfast and lunch business. The bar is situated at the back of the restaurant to separate the front from the entertainment and bar area that leads onto the outside area.
The menu remains standard to the News Cafe chain. Each new restaurant has design features that are unique and this particular outlet has special ceiling detail, lighting, metalwork and shop fittings that work together to create a stylish, open and inviting ambience.
"We are delighted to be part of one of Johannesburg's premium entertainment destinations and particularly pleased with the way the Emperors Palace store design turned out. While we do not want to be unreasonable in our expectations, we do look forward to great results from this site," concludes van der Westhuizen.
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