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Possible futures for GOMER after Nov 2021

A discussion about GOMER from November 2021, post lockdowns, we think and hope.

Madelines

• Yes, we are finally reopening our dine-in restaurant on Friday! We will, however, be keeping the restaurant dine-in hours as Wednesday to Sunday, with takeaway and outdoor seating available 7 days a week.

David Morgan

• We could move indoors if we changed our day of the week. Happy to receive comments.
  Or continue to meet outdoors while the weather is (or should be) more amenable.
  I plan to continue the Zoom as long as there is demand for it.

Ross Mackinnon

• I'll stick with Zoom until we can go indoors safely.

John Tuininga

• I feel that the existing arrangement has fractured our Group somewhat.
  If another day of the week was chosen, in my instance, I would prefer a Wednesday or Friday morning.

John Hurst

• Wednesday would be my choice. Can’t do Fridays.

Lindsay Brown

• My preference would be to continue Mondays outside until 2022.
  I am available Thursdays every week. If Friday I would miss one week a month.
  Wednesdays do not suit me for indoors.

Colin King

• Though I have not been to Gomer during covid time, I think keeping the same day of the week would be best. Usually, a change of day does not suit all, and cafe will soon be back to seven day service.

John Snare

• I can’t do Wednesday, but am not a regular anyway.

Doug Newberry

• Unforutnateiy I have another Coffee Group arrangement on Wednesday morning and I will miss our Group - but we cannot please everybody.

Robert Wood

• Happy for it to stay on a Monday as first preference, can do Thursday and Friday am.

Anthony Edwards to Madelines

• Hi Jess,
  

  I am one of the twenty to thirty or so men who before Covid used to meet in your restaurant around 10.00 a.m. on Mondays. We had several tables pushed together, Liana made us all very welcome and a very sociable time was had by all. These meetings were very dear to us and I used to do my utmost not to miss any.
  

  Sadly, I see now that Madeline’s will no longer be opening the restaurant on Mondays and Tuesdays, which is both very disappointing and hard to understand, particularly as trade seems to be very brisk at least on Monday mornings. A small number of our group still come for a take-away coffee, but most of the members no longer attend.
  

  I wonder if I might be so bold as to enquire the reason why, given that there did not seem to be any problem in many years past. I appreciate that post-Covid there could be a staffing problem, but it would help my colleagues and I to understand your position if we knew the reason. And I wonder if Mondays and Tuesdays might one day in the not too distant future be restored?
  

  Please be assured that I have no wish of course to be too intrusive into your business!
  

  Regards,
  

  Anthony Edwards
  

Madelines to Anthony

• Hi Anthony,
  

  Thank you for your email.
  

  Our trading hours have been conversed over quite intimately with new plans being made and decisions about viability of the utilities we have available to us.
  

  Post Covid, we have had to revisit our business model so that it reflects what is most viable for us during this time and moving forward in an industry that has drastically needed to change. Outdoor dining is definitely on the rise! Our trade on Mondays and Tuesdays has never matched those of the rest of the week so, overall, it is more viable for us to utilise those days as an opportunity to catch up on prep work and give the few full time staff we do have, their days off.
  

  Furthermore, there are now more projects happening behind the scenes in and out of Madeline's, so there is a larger picture here available to us that we now have the opportunity to grow with and into.
  

  I understand that it may be disappointing for your group to be unable to dine in with us on a Monday and I'd like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude for your patronage and understanding during what has been, no doubt, once of the most difficult and distressing times our industry has seen thus far.
  

  Change is always an uncertain feeling, and whilst it is sad to have to let go of some things, adapting to and evolving with the times is something that is inevitable.
  

  Of course, you'd be more than welcome to dine in with us on any day between Wednesday and Sunday; we'd love to have you! Once more, thank you for your continuing support and patience whilst we figure out a way forward.
  

  Kind Regards,
  

  Jess Blackwell
  Manager
  Madeline's at Jells

David Morgan

• Dec 5
  I have been pursuing the idea of GOMER meeting at the church with a coffee van attending, but have not yet had responses from any of the ones that I have approached. If anyone has contacts, I would be very appreciative. I have talked to Katherine at Muddings about the possibility of us meeting at the church and getting coffee from them. She is open to trying it. They are closed for two weeks after New Year, so we would realistically be looking at Jan 24 to start. The plan would be for us to write our name and order on a sheet as we arrived, and put money in a bowl. At say 10:10, someone would take the list and money down to Muddings. They would them make the coffees and deliver them to the church. She felt that mugs would need to be covered for spillage and health reasons, so we would need to have take away cups. We could look at Keep Cups later. Comments welcome.

John Hurst

• In these days of avoiding waste, I'd argue that we should go for keep-cups from the start. We could Dymo label or permanent mark our names onto them, perhaps even with preferred beverage, and then take the whole swag over to Muddings with the order. A quick Google search shows that you can buy a Keep-Cup for $16 (small, 227ml), $18 (medium, 340ml), or $20 (large, 454ml). I've sent an email to explore whether quantity discounts might be available. I'm sure Warren could find a cupboard somewhere to store them?

David Morgan

• The Muddings lady was very much "Let's give it a try".
  I'd suggest two weeks with disposable cups to see how it works out for both us and them before investing in more mugs.
  Absolutely in favour of moving away from them ASAP.

  In Indonesia, tea is served in a glass with a silver lid to keep the dust out while it cools. Such things are available, but I did not raise that possibility with Muddings.

Robert Wood

• I think it is a great idea. My only concern is that being a person who likes their coffee really hot by the time they make them all and deliver them they will be lukewarm. I can't remember if the church has a micro wave oven, if so no problem. (It does. DLM)

Bill Norquay

• I think having it in the hall and coffee from Muddings or bring your own would be fine.

John Tuininga

• Thanks for your efforts David in researching various options.
  The Muddings arrangement is certainly worth a try for several weeks (disposable cups) after which they/we can evaluate its success or otherwise.
  It will be good to have our full Group back together.

RossMackinnon

• I am in favour of giving Muddings a trial run with take away cups to start with.

Andrew Manolitsas

• Just another suggestion for a Monday morning venue for "Gomers".
  The Last Piece Restaurant - Waverley Park, Shop 7/2 Stadium Crt, Mulgrave

• Open 7 days a week, opens early on Monday at 7am
• Good coffee, hot chocolate etc. In proper cups and mugs (no Keep cups required)
• Plenty of breakfast and bakery items on the menu.
• Can cater for large groups.
• Lots of parking space available.
• Outdoor seating available.
• Views over Waverley park.
• Bicycle parking and access to Eastlink bicycle trail.
• Close to walking track to Jells park via Eastlink trail but a bit of a up hill walk back to the carpark. May be worth a look.

Anthony Edwards to Madelines Dec 7

Hi Jess,

There is a lot of discussion going on in our group about changing our venue on a Monday morning, which most people do not want to do but feel that they probably have to because of Madeline’s closure on Mondays and Tuesdays.

A possible solution occurred to me today while I was sitting at one of your outside tables about 10.00 a.m., at which time it was extremely busy and there was nowhere near enough seating room for many.

How about opening the restaurant for seating purposes only? Patrons would still have to buy their drinks from the kiosk window, and then simply walk inside and sit at one of the tables. This would not involve any extra staff at all, and the only involvement of staff I can think of would be the possible cleaning of tables. A prominent sign stating that patrons must clear and wipe their tables before leaving would help substantially.

Please give this suggestion your careful consideration, because I cannot really think of any practical reason why it could not be followed, and if patrons know that they will have somewhere to sit, particularly in inclement or cold weather, you may well in fact increase your revenue.

Regards,

Anthony