Hanmer Guest House Cafe was officially opened last summer, when we served about 15 guests. The place was not yet equipped with water. We decided to use the kitchen for most of our summer guests.
We made this choice when bookings for a recent date began to pile up. We thought we would be getting 31 guests per night! My wife, who is not one to turn people away, arranged for the overflow guests to stay with our neighbor and split the price.
We had a large group of Bulgarians, a smaller group from the Czech Republic, a trio of Israelis, and a couple from England. Everyone was trekking and spending only one night. Supper and breakfast the next morning were included for everyone.
The departure of nine other guests the next morning made it necessary to do laundry and dry clothes in the sun. We were also short of a helper, so my wife and I had to do the laundry, along with a local teenager for a few minutes.
The USA handyman who came to do repairs and other work on several occasions was at least one of the nine previous guests. He is famous for having orchestrated the installation of the new playground set in the village, which I have written about recently. This time, we asked him to make sure that the cafe’s in-and-out water supply was fully functional. We would have hot water on site for washing dishes, as well as two working lavatories. He fixed everything.
We also decided to try a buffet service for the first time, instead of the usual food dishes. We had the space and tables and chairs as well as the number of guests that made this the best option. It meant that all the furniture, food, crockery, and cutlery had to be brought to the cafe to set up. It was the easiest decision. The machinery began to move.
Lali did all the cooking, both hot and cold. It’s her forte. I did as much laundry, bedroom refitting, and cafe setup that I could. We had plenty of time to do most of this. Nothing was last-minute. The few hiccups that we had, like not having enough beer, were not significant.
We were ready when people started arriving in the afternoon. No one expected more than a snack until supper. We took care of the vegetarians (we ask about special dietary requirements in advance). The event went well despite the stress of the workload. Our three Israelis, who arrived by taxi from Tbilisi Airport, were the only ones we sent to our neighbor. They arrived late and had to be fed en route.
The next morning, it was the same. I’ve known for a long time that most guests prefer tea to coffee at night, but will have coffee for breakfast. We have two drip coffee makers, a French Press and two electric kettles in order to meet the volume of hot drinks required. We worked hard to finish the job quickly and efficiently, while keeping everyone happy.
I also had to leave immediately after breakfast for a Tbilisi meeting. Lali let me go, as the booking calendar showed no more large groups for a couple of days. I had helped her get through the worst. She could do the laundry and clean up, and there was plenty of food for any unexpected guests (which is common in summer). There were only a few rooms to prepare. We can do it. We will.
Blog by Tony Hanmer
Tony Hanmer is a writer and photographer who has been working for GT since 2011. He has lived in Georgia and Svaneti, respectively, since 1999. He runs the “Svaneti Renaissance” Facebook group, now with over 2000 members, at www.facebook.com/groups/SvanetiRenaissance/
He and his wife also run their own guest house in Etseri: www.facebook.com/hanmer.house.svaneti
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