PROVIDING high-quality food and making life easier for Riverland customers are crucial aspects of business during the current coronavirus emergency, says a local restaurant owner.
Federal Government restrictions introduced last month to combat the spread of COVID-19 have limited Riverland food outlets to only serving takeaway options.
Eat Me Street Food and Kebabs owner Sam Kilinc said these measures meant his restaurant – which had only opened in February – had to adapt its trading hours and service practices.
“The first thing we did was check to see how our business would need to comply with the government’s rules and regulations,” Mr Kilinc said.
“We removed all of our internal dining area and moved it to the side, and we also prepared our floorspace to have an indication of where you can and cannot stand due to social distancing.
“We changed our opening hours to suit dinnertime customers. People can’t come in for breakfast or lunch anymore, so we’ve provided a delivery service from 5pm to 9pm six days a week.
“You shouldn’t be leaving the house, so that’s why we do delivery and you shouldn’t be using cash, so that’s why we take payment over the phone. We don’t want you to not have anything to eat because everywhere is closed, so we’ll bring it to your door.”
Mr Kilinc said receiving feedback – both positive and negative – from customers regarding the changes in service was necessary to keep improving.
“It’s about the quality of the food and obviously we get a lot of feedback,” he said.
“That’s our constructive criticism and that should help us get better. There might be a complaint about waiting too long, so we’ll work on wait times.
“That becomes our way of perfecting what we provide to people.”
Mr Kilinc said sourcing ingredients from Riverland suppliers and continuing to employ Renmark residents was vital to supporting the local economy.
“It’s been hard for everyone, but it is working for us,” he said.
“Now we have built a rapport with a local company that supplies us with all our goods.
“When we were opening the shop we didn’t bring anyone from our Melbourne business and we got all our staff from Renmark… that was our main target to employ people locally.”
Mr Kilinc said Riverland families would be depending on local eateries to provide “healthy and affordable” food options during the COVID-19 crisis.
“I know people in Renmark have soft hearts and there is a beautiful, family-orientated community here,” he said.
“Everyone supports everyone… Renmark is a beautiful place to have this business.”