Stellenbosch wine producer Alex Dale of Radford Dale Winery and Chef Matt Manning of popular Grub & Vine Restaurant started the Restaurant Rescue Project (RRP) and have already saved six Cape restaurants from permanent or at least temporary closure, securing the livelihoods of many employees.

How The Restaurant Rescue Project Began

The Restaurant Rescue Project campaign began when Dale donated 200 cases of Radford Dale premium wines to Manning of Grub & Vine Restaurant in Cape Town in a bid to keep the restaurant’s doors open. The wines are included into a restaurant package by offering a case of six premium wines per voucher purchase. The Radford Dale X Grub & Vine promotion sold out in three days of going live, which equated to R280,000 in revenue which has kept the restaurant’s doors open and staff employed. It was quickly realised that there were many other independent Cape restaurants who would welcome the same lifeline from wine estates.

Four weeks into the campaign, the Restaurant Rescue Project is now assisting 14 independently owned eateries with more joining almost daily. Five of these campaigns are already sold out. Both South Africa’s globally recognised Wolfgat in Paternoster as well as celebrity TV chef Neill Anthony’s La Mouette in Cape Town have gone live on the Restaurant Rescue Project website since August 8th.

Who Is Participating in The Restaurant Rescue Project

South Africa’s epicurean hot spot, The Test Kitchen went live with its RRP campaign August 11th and sold out of the 200 vouchers priced at R1800 each in an astonishing seven hours, providing R360, 000 in revenue. Its success was thanks to the collaboration of Stellenbosch wine producers, Jordan, Keermont, Oldenburg, Radford Dale, Ken Forrester and Hartenberg.

Other restaurants that are currently live on the project’s website include globally recognised Wolfgat Restaurant in Paternoster, Cheyne’s in Hout Bay and La Mouette in Sea Point. FYN and La Tête Restaurants are expected to be live to take bookings by this weekend.

Wine estates that have joined the RRP are; Keermont Vineyards, Jordan Wine Estate, Ken Forrester Vineyards, Luddite, Elgin Ridge Estate, Oldenburg Vineyards, and more.

The Restaurant Rescue Project in Numbers

• 15:- restaurants currently participating (this will increase to 17 by the weekend)
• 17:- participating wineries (increasing to 25 by the weekend)
• 700:- employees jobs and livelihoods safeguarded thus far (increasing to over 700 by the weekend)
• 2000:- number of RRP vouchers sold to date
• R3.1 million: revenue generated to date in Rands
• R4.5 million:- value in wine pledged by wineries to date in Rands

All revenue generated from this initiative is paid directly into participating restaurants accounts. There are no marketing or administrative fees, making the RRP 100% pro bono.

To view all the participating restaurants and to purchase RRP vouchers, visit: www.restaurantrescueproject.com

Restaurant Rescue Project pro bono as well as not for profit COVID-19 related organisations COURAGE – www.courage.africa and UNITAR (United Nations Institute for Training and Research) – www.covid.za.com