There are many great reasons to go and visit Remo’s in Flanders Mall….the coffee, the pizzas, the relaxed vibe, the brownies, but for me, it’s the staff that are the secret ingredient. They are a loyal bunch, and if you are a regular visitor they become almost like your extended family. I have never lived in Boston, but going to Remos is a bit like I imagine Cheers to be, and from Cliff to Selby these are professionals who always go that extra mile.
Behind the smiles there are stories, and in a South Africa where we hear a whole raft awful news, Edward Khumalo stands out as a story of triumph over adversity. He grew up in the Township of Tshelimayana near Marionhill, and his parents always encouraged him to study hard. He got his Matric and found a job as a cleaner in a pub in Kloof. In every break, he learned something new, he worked the salads section, mixed cocktails, washed dishes and started helping to prep in his lunch hour.
He peeled onons, learned what feta was, ate olives when the other guys in the kitchen told him they were grapes, and when the Stoker’s Arms moved to Hillcrest he moved too, and graduated to grilling meats and fish. By the time he was approached to move to Remo’s he was ready.
During his time at Remo’s, Lavazza coffee has flown him to Italy with Renzo Scribante, and he revelled in the culture, couldn’t believe the sun was still up at 8pm and it is clear that Europe is something he loves….it is reflected in his work. He has risen to be Kitchen Manager and loves the fact that he is trusted and nurtured by his employers, although he admits that some guys find it hard to cope with that responsibility.
Eddie’s story is one of such happiness, a story of what can come when South Africans give each other a leg up, and run with opportunity. One day he would love to have a shop of his own with twenty to thirty covers serving Italian food, the kind of place he loved dropping into in Italy, but his love of his job shines through, and I am sure he will be at Remos for a while yet. Next time you see a familiar face serving you, find out their story, it will amaze you how many unsung heroes there are out there.
As for Eddie, his philosophy is ‘Stay true to who you are, and don’t forget where you come from. If you know that anything is possible’. As he gets into his car to head to his home on the Berea with his girlfriend, it seems that he has made his dreams reality.