Day care centre for husbands
“If birds learn how to fly without perching, hunters will definitely learn to shoot without failing,” so goes the adage.
In an ever changing world where technology and modernity are at the driver’s seat, businesses are left with no option but to strategise to catch the eye of the consuming public.
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This calls for ingenuity and thinking outside the box to get eyes, hearts, minds, and tongues yearning for one’s products.
That is exactly what a restaurant in one of the interesting points in Cape Town, South Africa, has succeeded in doing to woo members of the public to its services.
I’m talking about a fascinating notice on a signpost located at the Victoria and Alfred (V&A) Waterfront that directs customers and passersby to Quay Four Restaurant and Tavern, one of the oldest restaurants in Cape Town.
It looks very captivating, charming and attractive and one that will hold anyone spellbound no matter the individual’s condition.
The idea behind the write up will prick your sense of inquisitiveness immediately.
Like most of the tourists and revellers, journalists who visited the place for the first time were moved by the unique inscriptions on the signpost which read:
“Cape Town’s Oldest
Husband Day Care Centre
Need time to yourself?
Need time to relax?
Want to go shopping?
Leave your husband with us!
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We’ll take care of him for you.
You only pay for his food and drinks.”
The signage pulls hundreds of customers, especially tourists, to the place to make enquiries and subsequently patronise the services of Quay Four.
Strategy
Explaining the reason behind the signage, a receptionist at the restaurant, Ms Silinlo Kuhle, said it was a strategy adopted to attract customers to the place.
According to her, the notice is only meant to draw the attention of women to bring in their husbands and “spoil” them.
“We posted the notice there to attract attention to the restaurant, and that is what we see here every day, with hundreds of customers coming in to make enquiries and buy food afterwards.
“The mere fact that you hear of a husband day care centre will make you want to find out more from us, and we will offer you the best of services,” she said.
Ms Kuhle, who looked enthusiastic with her job, said the restaurant adopted the tactics to make it stand out among its competitors.
Quay Four is just an epitome of how well the hospitality industry has positioned itself in South Africa and is making the inroads in that economy.
The case of Quay Four is just a tip of the iceberg as many more of such facilities are thriving, thanks to the use of appropriate technologies and strategic branding.
Interesting tourist sites such as Table Mountain, Lion’s Head, Cape of Good Hope and Victoria and Alfred Waterfront are but a few of such facilities.
Comparisons
Can the same be said about the hospitality industry in Ghana? Are the players in the local industry innovative enough to make the anchor of the sector hold in the midst of the storm?
Ghana has also got some of the best sites including Kakum National Park, Paga Pond, Lake Bosomtwi and the Elmina Castle.
However, the difference between the two countries is that South Africa pays particular attention to its hospitality industry, even though the sector plays critical roles in both economies.
In 2017 alone, the industry was expected to contribute about R161 billion to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
For more than two years, about 34 castles and forts, including the gallery at the National Museum in Accra, have remained closed for renovation works, causing the nation to lose substantial income in the sector.
Roads leading to some tourist sites are in deplorable states, not to mention the sites themselves.
Tourists are usually attracted by the intangible things, and the Quay Four experience will forever remain in my memories.
‘Take your husband there’
So the next time you think of visiting Cape Town, look for the ‘husband centre’ and give your husband a nice treat there.
Perhaps, that will be the magic wand to all the wahala he gives you at home all the time.