| Restaurant owners who have their business along | | | | them a boost. |
| the coast depend mostly on the tourism sector. | | | | Rising Competition |
| And yet, although arrivals to Mauritius have | | | | However, whether it is low or high season, |
| increase since last year, the situation has | | | | businessmen who own restaurants have to |
| remained the same in the restaurants. There is a | | | | encounter a high level of competition. It does not |
| waiter at La Cravache D’or Restaurant says | | | | matter whether you specialize in Japanese or |
| that even with the increase in tourists in the | | | | European or Indian food because people will |
| country but it does not mean that they eat in | | | | always seek a place where they can get value |
| their restaurant. Most of them like to stay in the | | | | for money. There are several Japanese |
| hotel for breakfast, lunch and dinner; especially | | | | restaurants in Mauritius and they will find the one |
| those who only want to relax by the beach or | | | | that gives the best quality for a moderate price. |
| poolside of their hotel. As for the local customers, | | | | The Director of Sakura also reminds us that |
| the owner of the restaurant says that there are | | | | though they have increase the variety of menus |
| less Mauritians because of the rise in the cost of | | | | to give their customer a wider choice, yet the |
| living. There are many factors influencing the | | | | competition has become more and more tough. |
| decrease in the number of Mauritians in the | | | | At the hotels where they have come to stay, |
| restaurants. The main reason being everything is | | | | the tourists are having whatever they want as |
| getting more and more expensive and so people | | | | food so they is no need for them to move |
| became choosier in what they eat. They do not | | | | outside the hotels to find some other things else. |
| just want quality but they would think twice about | | | | Another problem facing the owners of the |
| the cost of what they would eat. | | | | restaurants is the lack of manpower. Most of the |
| As for the restaurant Au Fin Bec, the Manager | | | | restaurants based in small coastal villages can |
| says that the number of tourist customers is low | | | | hardly find people to work for them because the |
| at the moment because it is the low season. | | | | inhabitants in the surrounding area prefer to work |
| They usually receive more customers from other | | | | in a big hotel. The hotel management can import |
| countries in the summer, but right now customers | | | | labor, whereas the small restaurant cannot do so. |
| coming to eat in their restaurant is rather few | | | | Most of the chefs are not prepared to work for |
| because it is the low season. They are waiting for | | | | small restaurants because they are tempted to |
| the usual inflow of tourists at the end of July. | | | | work for the hotel where they are paid with |
| Whereas the Director of Sakura Restaurant at | | | | better remuneration package. The Sakura |
| Grand Baie says that when the low season ends | | | | Restaurant has trained many chefs during the |
| and with the coming of August, tourist from | | | | past 21 years, but many of them have left to |
| Reunion Island come to visit Mauritius. Before the | | | | work for the hotels. As soon as the hotels spot a |
| month of July, they usually have a low season, | | | | good chef, they offer them a job in their |
| but during the next few weeks visitors for | | | | institution, so the owners of the restaurant have |
| Reunion Island come to their restaurant to give | | | | to restart the training of another chef. |