03/09/2022
Small business is tough & these guys are just the best - our staff get their lunch everyday from Chris & his team and come back with very satisfied & full tummies. Keep doing what you are doing Old Mate’s Burgers we love you as a client and as great takeaway shop
🙂OPEN LETTER TO OLD MATE'S SUPPORTERS🙂
Hi everyone!
This guy!
Many of you know him as 'Old Mate'.
Some of you know him as friend.
To his children he is 'My Dad'.
To his grandson he is 'Grandad'.
To me, he is 'My Christopher'.
I have been by his side for more than 30 years and have watched him grow from a teenager to a man, to a husband and father and now grandad, and from a dedicated employee to an even more dedicated business owner.
I have watched him triumph and fall. I have seen him win and lose. I have seen him at his absolute best and his absolute worst.
Why am I telling you this?
Because today, after another complaint about a $3 delivery fee, and hearing the deflation in his voice, I realised that people just don't know him and how hard he works for his customers. And I thought, who better to tell them than me?
So, here goes!
For almost 7 years this man has left our home at 4.15AM!!!! to start his day. Most days, not getting home until well after 5pm. And even then, his mind was almost 24/7 all about burgers!
His goal has always been excellent food and excellent service, hence our slogan 'Excellence on a Bun'. He not only works the grill, most days without a break (not even for the toilet!), but until recently when I was able to step in, he has managed almost every aspect of the business alone.
I have watched as he endured sleepless nights after hearing about a customer, supplier or staff member's real life struggles and he so desperately wanted to help them.
I have watched him choose honesty and integrity when so many others encouraged him and even accused him of 'skimming money' out of the business.
During Covid lockdowns, I watched him do everything possible to find ways to keep our doors open so that our customers still had food and our staff still had jobs, even when it meant no jobkeeper allowance to assist us.
I have watched his heart break over injustice and had thousands of discussions about how we can be a solution to the problems we see.
He has been the driving force behind our support of Destiny Rescue through our Soul Burger and Pete's Place.
He has also been the driving force behind using local suppliers and businesses as much as possible to help other small businesses like us.
I have watched him do all of this, for almost 7 years, with very little financial reward (most weeks forgoing any payment at all so our staff and bills are paid on time) and a LOT of judgement and criticism from people who assume that because he runs his own business he's 'rolling in it'.
And this year, while the rest of Australia complained about food, electricity and petrol prices going up, and up, and up, I watched him
try desperately to keep our prices down for our customers.
You have no idea how much he hated introducing a delivery fee in May, however it became impossible to continue running 2 cars and 2 drivers so our customers could have their food delivered to them FOR FREE.
So today, when someone complained to our team member (who doesn't actually have any say in how we cost things) about a $3 delivery fee and the price of their food, and I heard the deflation in his voice, again, I knew it was time to address the issue.
The reality is food costs are changing daily (lettuce changed from $65 to $85 a carton overnight!, oil prices have doubled per drum, beef has increased $5 per kg).
Wages and superannuation have increased.
Petrol prices have increased.
Electricity and gas prices have increased.
It's true for everyone, whether a multimillion dollar company, like Mcdonalds, or a small local business like Old Mate's.
Unfortunately though, some people seem to think it's okay for the big companies to increase prices, decrease portion sizes and charge delivery, while the small, family owned businesses are expected to absorb the cost and just get on with it.
So, back to this guy....
I want to say thank you! Thank you for walking with integrity and honesty, for having a heart for the hurting, for giving and giving and then giving some more, for not giving in to the haters and for always looking for a better way to serve your customers, your staff and your family.
And to all of you who have taken the time to read this far, thank you!
You may be wondering how you can help...
Please show him some love in the comments.
Please show him some more love by recommending Old Mate's to someone who hasn't been fed by us yet!
Please keep eating our food and if you really love it, give us a google review.
Please share our posts.
Please support the small businesses around you.
Please don't complain when they have to pass on price increases. They REALLY don't want to. And if you hear someone else complain, now that you're in the know, help educate them on the realities of small business.
And next time you're in the shop, please say 'Hi' and 'Thank you!' It will help more than you know!
Much love,
Louise
