Con’s Fine Foods inducted into the The City Awards Hall of Fame
One of the Adelaide Central Market’s oldest stalls, a Hutt St cafe and an East End small bar are among the winners of this year’s The City Awards.
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One of the Adelaide Central Market’s oldest stalls has been inducted into The City Awards Hall of Fame.
Continental smallgoods retailer Con’s Fine Foods was among 12 businesses recognised in the annual awards — jointly run by The Advertiser and Adelaide City Council.
Other winners included Coffylosophy (Best Coffee), Da Gianni Barbers (Best Hair & Beauty) and El Cheeky Flamingo (Best Small Bar).
Long-serving Con’s Fine Food manager Alex Savvas, 53, said it was a honour for the stall – opened by his father, Con, in 1959 – to be named in the awards.
Mr Savvas, who started working at the market when he was 17, said Con’s was built on a philosophy of always putting its customers first.
“It’s about personal service, not just customer service,” he said.
“You have got to get to know your customers and treat them like your friends.
“You also must always have a good quality product for them every time they come back.”
Mr Savvas said he enjoyed working at the market, where he regarded many other stallholders like his family.
“Every morning about 10 to 15 of us get together, have a coffee, a laugh and chew the fat, then we get to work,” he said.
“That’s what makes this place unique.
“We all want shopping here to be an experience, where people come, have something to eat, get what they need.
“We don’t want it to be like a supermarket where you go in, buy your stuff and walk out.
“We want our customers to become our friends, our family.”
Coffylosophy owner Harsh Mehta said he and his wife, Sneha, also treated regular customers at their Hutt St cafe like friends.
Mr Mehta, the recipient of the Best Coffee award, said it was important to “keep it simple” when it came to customer service.
“You have got to keep people coming back so you treat them well, make them feel welcome, make it feel like another home for them, keep up your standards and make great coffee,” he said.
Like other business owners across the state, Mr Mehta, who migrated from India 15 years ago, said it had been a difficult year because of the pandemic but he believed things were starting to improve.
“I believe Adelaide is the best city in Australia by miles and the safest city, and it is only getting better,” he said.
“Now we really have to bank on that and take it to even greater heights.”
Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor congratulated all award winners and finalists, who were chosen from a record 224 nominations.
“These awards recognise the extraordinary businesses that make our city unique, many of which have done it so tough this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.
Ms Verschoor said, like most capital cities, many of city businesses relied on office workers “buying coffees and lunches and shopping in their stores”.
“Therefore, they have struggled with loss of foot traffic due to people working from home and changing restrictions,” she said.
“Bringing people back to our city is essential for business getting back on its feet.”
Ms Verschoor said the council was continuing to explore ways to provide further assistance and support to businesses.
“Council understands and appreciates how important our local businesses are to our economy.”
The awards were announced during a virtual ceremony because of COVID-19.
2020 THE CITY AWARDS WINNERS:
Best Attraction/Experience
The David Roche Foundation House
Best Coffee
Coffylosophy
Best Dining Experience
Little Khmer Kitchen
Best Hair & Beauty
Da Gianni Barbers
Best Health & Wellbeing
The Simple Everyday
Best New Business
Day Job
Best Small Bar
El Cheeky Flamingo
Best Small Retailer
House of Health Collective
Adelaide Artisan Award
Steven Ter Horst Chocolatier Rundle Street
Hall of Fame
Con’s Fine Food
Best Reconnected Business
Adventure Rooms
Best Reimagined Business
Antica Pizzeria CBD