By Lindsey Kin
In 2009, research was conducted on the style of pristine entertainment outlets the Emperors Palace clientele fancied. It was found that cinemas and a News Café proved to be most popular. The invitation from Peermont, owner of Emperors Palace, for a News Café launch, followed suit.
My colleague, Artwell Nwaila, and I attended News Café’s carnival extravaganza, in celebration of the official launch for its new franchise, News Café Emperors Palace, on Thursday, 11 March.
“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 franchise owners, Dawn and Pavendren Naidoo,” explained Alan van der Westhuizen, General Manager, Restaurant Division for News Café.
“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,” said van der Westhuizen.
The star-studded event was held at Peermont’s Emperors Palace, where guests were entertained by
5FM’s Gareth Cliff on decks; drumming by Ctrl_Alt_Del; flame throwers; and bar flaring. VIPs were treated to an array of News Café canapés and its famous dazzling cocktails. News Café, ‘decked to the nines’, showcased a true carnival experience, from the décor of exuberant masks, to a Smirnoff Ice sculpture, and a Brutal Fruit ‘slush puppie’ machine. Other sponsors for the evening included: Red Bull; Jagermeister; Cointreau; Olmeca Tequila; BAT; and Black Bottle Whisky, all adding to the colourful and electrifying festivities.
“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,” said van der Westhuizen.
Pictures from News Café’s carnival extravaganza are showcased in our
gallery.