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KNYSNA BUSINESS NEWS - While locals have always held Knysna's Wimpy in high regard, the restaurant has finally been rewarded for its longstanding excellent service and operations by being named the top branch in the franchise's Eastern Cape region.
The prestigious award that has been bestowed on the locally driven branch comes off the back of the 2019/20 Wimpy Regional Operations Campaign which concluded in February 2020, having run throughout the year prior.
Due to the geographical designations of the franchise, Knysna forms part of its Eastern Cape region which stretches from Sedgefield all the way through to Port Alfred.
"It's a very big area, and we've been in the top three a couple of times, but this is the first time we've won it," said franchisee Charles Roberts.
The campaign involves stringent judging protocol that evaluates a restaurant's service, day-to-day operations, compliance with brand standards, and of course, the quality of their coffee.
"Coffee has become synonymous with our brand over the years, so having a quality cup of coffee is extremely important, and thankfully we tick that box."
The branch will be the reigning champions for two years, as this year's campaign has been scrapped due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Wimpy has been a landmark in Knysna for close to 50 years, having opened at the Demar Centre in 1973 before making the move to its current location at Knysna Mall in 2013. Having served the community for 47 years, some of the restaurant's staff have been with the chain for decades, says Roberts, something that helps with the consistently high level of service.
When it comes to training these dedicated and experienced staff, Roberts likens it to "teaching Roger Federer how to hit a tennis ball". But, that doesn't mean you can't teach an old dog new tricks, as they have had to implement new procedures in the wake of the Covid-19 regulations.
One of which is the brand new Wimpy app that recently launched on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, offering patrons an earn-and-burn-based points system.
The store is currently running with 50% of its seating capacity, and has every single measure in place to ensure the safety of its staff and customers. "We've done everything we possibly can to ensure a safe environment and our staff are very professional and safe in the way they go about their service."
Wimpy remains open every day from 09:00 to 17:00 on weekdays, 09:00 to 15:00 on Saturdays, and 09:00 to 14:00 on Sundays.
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