1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Gourmet Dan is a new ‘good food’ restaurant located on the Knysna Waterfront, one of the most popular destinations within the growing Garden Route tourist town of Knysna. It will specialise in good quality, innovative food in an upmarket but relaxed setting that offers an alternative to the fish restaurants, chain-operated steakhouses and pubs/action bars that characterise one of the best-known destinations in the country.
Run by Dan White, a vastly experienced chef who trained at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in London and was Executive Chef at the exclusive Park Lane Hotel, Gourmet Dan targets the slightly older and more affluent visitor (both domestic and international) in the 35-70 age bracket, as well as residents with a similar profile.
As a town, Knysna continues to record a steady rise in visitor numbers and new residents, and is attracting an increasingly affluent segment of the market following the establishment of luxury resorts like Pezula Resort Hotel and Simola Country Estate.
Dan White is investing R500 000 of his own capital into the Gourmet Dan venture, which will secure a long-term lease on the premises and cover the set-up costs of furniture, fittings, kitchen equipment, etc. It will also provide working capital during the start-up phase.
In addition, a loan of R200 000 is being sought to enable the dining area to be extended closer to the waters of the Knysna Lagoon, and to cover this area with a flexible ‘roll-back’ roof that can be opened during good weather, but closed when conditions are poor. Being closer to the water will be a competitive advantage for Gourmet Dan, while the large covered area will enable greater numbers of customers to be served, irrespective of weather conditions.
