He ran into the street and looked left then right for the three mysterious men. They had come from out of town and raved about his food before claiming to find an ATM. He felt his anger boil over with the realization of what had occurred. He couldn’t believe he had been so stupid and naive to accept this response.
The restaurant owner held his head in shame and realized no matter what he believed; not everyone could be trusted. He was about to lose his faith in humanity. However, two days later, he received a letter. When he opened and read it, it was hard to believe his eyes. 'Come here, quickly! - he called for the team. - You won't believe what we've got just received!'
With High Hopes And Expectations
It’s never easy to open a fast-food chain restaurant. The market is flooded with options and people have their pick over different international cuisines available. For one restauranteur, it was his dream to bring the spices and seasoning from his home to his new neighborhood.
When he decided to open the restaurant he had no idea what was in store or the challenges he would face. His life became in the public eye and every bad plate was a personal failure. His secret recipe was about to get him international recognition, but would it be enough to pay the bills in his local community?
A Dream In Middlesbrough
Apollo Apollinaire had one goal. He wanted to bring the recipes and flavors he loved from his childhood to his community in Middlesbrough, UK. He knew it was risky to go into the food business, but he also couldn’t stand the thought of never knowing how successful he could be.
When he began construction, a lot of his friends and family couldn’t understand his vision. He told them to wait and see because he knew he could shock them all! Apollo was about to get the surprise of his life from three of his customers.
The Reviews Were In
When Apollo opened his restaurant doors, the reviews were instantaneous. The community raved about his cooking and signature dishes like Waka Waka Chicken were being ordered non-stop.
Apollo stood and watched his team run around serving happy customers and he was thrilled. He knew his dream would pay off, but there was a dark side to working in the public. Apollo had no idea his dream was about to disappear before his eyes.
A Second Location
With the success of Kilimandjaro’s first location, Apollo began to think about opening a second location. He began scouting areas and fell in love with a new location in Hartlepool. Apollo had never operated two businesses - he didn’t know if he was up to the task but wanted to try.
What Apollo never considered was with two locations he was more vulnerable to scams. He never expected a trusted company to put him in the middle of a local scandal, but unfortunately, he would have to choose which location to rescue from a terrible end.
Health Inspection
Apollo was at his new location when a health inspector arrived. This was not a concern because Apollo prided himself on keeping his locations to prime standards. What was suspicious was the person doing the health examination.
Apollo knew many people in the local food and beverage community. This woman’s name wasn’t familiar and the more he asked her questions, the vaguer she became. Was Apollo willing to shut down an inspection and delay his restaurant opening? The answer shocked everyone, and brought Apollo's spirit to a new low.
Apollo Was Not Taking A Risk
Apollo detailed the meeting to his loyal customer base and said he refused to let a “fraudster” come and “plant something in my premises to discredit my business”. Apollo wanted to be clear, the restaurant would remain closed until further inspection.
Would there be any negative fallback on the slowly growing business? Apollo had to be careful with social media. It was becoming a tool he could use to grow his business, but also one people could attack his success.
Negative Reviews
Other local restaurants had received a low rating and been closed due to unhygienic kitchen situations. Apollo was determined this wouldn’t happen to his Kilimandjaro enterprise and made sure to review all public comments.
In one instance he caught misleading online slander and quickly educated the online source on the correct information. This was the open and warm nature that Apollo was known for. His personality and patience would soon be tested with three strangers.
A Great Place For Football
Apollo had a large clientele that loved dining at Kilimandjaro during football games. They raved about how good the food was and Apollo would normally do deals depending on what teams were playing.
His signature Waka Waka Chicken and Parmos attracted three men from out of town. They all ordered their dinner but when the bill came they realized one detail about the restaurant that made them walk out the door.
Cash Only
Kilimandjaro was a cash-only establishment. Apollo had run his business this way since he opened and saw no reason to change that now. The three young men were shocked. They had only come in from out of town with bank cards and had no cash in their wallets.
Embarrassed they asked for directions to the closest ATM and promised to return quickly with the full payment. Apollo trusted these young men would return quickly but after the minutes turned into hours, he realized he had made a terrible mistake.
A Dinner Rush Disaster
When the three young men had entered the Kilimandjaro restaurant they were excited by the delicious aromas and smells coming from the kitchen! They each ordered a signature dish and enjoyed the relaxing meal, even meeting the restaurant owner, Apollo.
As more customers entered the restaurant the three men snuck out to find an ATM, but never returned. The young waitress was so nervous to reveal what she had done to her boss. It was a classic mistake with an untraditional happy ending.
Breaking The Bad News To Apollo
Apollo was shocked when his waitress told him what had happened. He had spoken to the young men and thought they were trustworthy guests. He told the waitress it wasn’t their fault and used this as a learning experience for his whole team.
For the rest of the night, Apollo felt a dark cloud above his head and he mentally berated himself for believing the best in people. A couple of days later a mysterious envelope would explain and excuse everything.
Apollo Was Raised Differently
Apollo was still thinking about the dishonest dinner transaction a few days later. Apollo was from a country called Burkina Faso. This west African country was known for integrity, and the name translated to “The Land Of Honest People”.
When Apollo had moved to the UK he had brought this work ethic and belief into his business. He was shocked that anyone could eat a meal and then walk out the door with no payment. He resolved to stay positive, but the incident shook him to his core.
Trying To Find The Bright Side
Apollo had many regular customers and everyone was shocked by the incident. They let him know there was nothing he could have done, and after a few days, he began to shake it off. Apollo was putting on a brave face, but he was staying late at the restaurant every day hoping to catch the young men coming back to make payment.
One day when Apollo was sitting at his desk in the back of his restaurant, a staff member ran back to hand him an exciting surprise. All Apollo saw was an envelope, but the contents inside made him pause to catch his breath.
The Team Wanted To Help
Apollo’s employees hated seeing him so upset. They loved working for the restaurant and wished there was something they could do to brighten his day. When the mail arrived one day, they noticed a plain envelope in between all the regular bills.
When they noticed the stamp was from out of town, it became clear this was exactly what they had been waiting for. Without waiting for another second they ran into Apollo’s office and told him to read the letter right away!
Would One Letter Explain Everything?
When Apollo received the letter, he didn’t think it would be anything special. He assumed it was something personal or a family matter, but when he opened the envelope money fell onto his desk.
His curiosity piqued and he unfolded the letter to read the contents. He couldn’t believe what the young men had gone through to right his wrong and began screaming with excitement. Soon the entire team was reading the letter and could not believe the generosity of three young men.
What Did The Letter Say?
The letter was addressed to the Kilimandjaro restaurant and in bold it said RE: BILL PAYMENT. The letter began by saying “It is my companions and I sincerest apologies that on Dec 8, 2017, we forgot to pay our bill. It was very unlike us, which is why we are remorseful.”
The letter even went on to describe exactly what the three young men ate and the total cost. They praised the cooking and service and apologized profusely for how they left the restaurant. What had been so important that they never returned to pay their bill?
Catching A Train
The three boys had every intention to go find an ATM and write about this in their letter. They finally explain what happened when they walked out of the restaurant and never returned. “On our search, it was apparent that the last train to our hometown was shortly about to depart.”
The boys changed their focus to catch the train but as soon as they sat down to get home, they realized their grave error. “It was at this point, being too late we realized our actions and decided to write this letter of apology.” Would Apollo forgive them or was the letter more fuel to his rage?
The Total Cost
The boys clearly knew they had made a terrible mistake. In their letter to Apollo, they reviewed the cost of their meal was 35 quid, but they wanted to make sure they left a tip and enclosed 40 quid. The boys were clearly remorseful but they had one more gift to leave behind.
With how important social media was in the food and business world, reviews were like gold! The three boys wrote in their letter that they wanted to do one more thing to apologize and right their wrong.
An Added Perk
At the end of the letter, the boys highlighted the following detail. “Additionally, we will be giving a positive five-star review of your establishment on Trip Advisor.” These reviews were incredibly important and helped get new business into Kilimandjaro.
Apollo was blown away by the letter. He could not believe that they had paid their bill and gone to this length to apologize. Apollo had to share the special event, but when he wrote a post on Facebook it began a series of events he couldn’t undo.
The News Spread Like Wildfire
The local community was also shocked by these out-of-town guests. They were thrilled that people could be humble and kind and no one harbored any bad thoughts towards the customers.
After a local paper covered the story, Apollo assumed that he could put the letter away and forget about the experience. Instead, Apollo found himself at the center of a viral story that was putting his restaurant name across the globe.
Good News Is Contagious
Local publications had covered the story, but then the Daily Mail UK picked up the story and wanted to interview Apollo for his experience. Apollo was happy to discuss the rollercoaster of emotions he experienced and loved sharing the good news with others.
The experience had shaken Apollo’s belief in people but he was relieved to find out that goodness still existed. When the Daily Mail published their piece, Apollo began to get requests from other places, including places that didn’t even speak English.
Brazil, Albania, And Japan
After local success, the story of these three customers paying their bills reached international locations. Apollo could not believe he was finding his face and story in the international press.
He was overjoyed to share the good news with people and believed this story would make others believe in the kindness of others again. The world was reaching a point that felt selfish and dark. Apollo hoped his story could share some light, but would it be inspiring or blinding?
A Cruel Twist
With all the new publicity Apollo was meeting many more customers, but it also attracted bad business. Apollo was shocked a few months after the letter when his restaurant was robbed. The letter had unfortunately made the restaurant a target, but the thieves didn’t take money or harm anyone.
Apollo was shocked when the thieves chose to remove the fake grass he installed in his restaurant. In a strange twist of fate, the thieves were caught and even returned the decoration. Would the letter garner any more bad press, or was the future only going to be bright with kindness?
Apollo Was Doing What He Loved
While the letter had restored Apollo’s faith - he was back to doing what he loved. Being in his restaurant and connecting with his community. When the incident had happened, Apollo felt like he had been taken advantage of and it made him question his levels of customer service.
When he received the letter, he understood the three boys felt bad because of how much they had enjoyed their experience. Apolloresolved to provide the best service in his community. It was time the community recognized Apollo’s hard work, but what could they do to honor the amazing contributions he was responsible for?
Community Involvement
Apollo loved to be recognized by his community and was on many boards and committees. A year after receiving the letter, he received an award honoring his commitment and time within the food and beverage local scene.
In 2018, Apollo won BME Business Person Of The Year. He felt grateful to be recognized by his peers and was also touched by the comments he received online. The business owner was going above and beyond in every way imaginable. What did he have planned to continue Kilimandjaro’s success?
Tasting Is Believing
After so much attention, Apollo knew he had to make his delicious sauce available beyond the restaurant experience. While Apollo has always used the slogan “Tasting Is Believing” to convince patrons to come to dine at his restaurant, now he was using it for a different approach.
Apollo was going to start selling bottles and jars of his sauce to help home chefs bring the magic home! He created beautiful packaging and his community reacted positively. There was one member of the local community that Apollo was shocked to see walking through his restaurant doors.
Hollywood Clientele
With the viral story of the shocking repayment, Apollo was receiving more attention on his food. One diner shocked him to his core and left him feeling a little starstruck. Actor Asa Elliott from the Benidorm Series dropped by for dinner and was floored by the explosion of flavor!
The actor graciously snapped pictures with Apollo, his date, and left a glowing review. It would appear that the happy ending for Kilimandjaro was only just beginning. What else did the restaurant have planned for the future?
Exciting New Horizons
Apollo isn’t stopping with his successful business any time soon. In 2019, the restauranteur announced he would be opening a new Kilimandjaro location in Newcastle. He was excited to let the community know construction would begin on Jan 1, 2020.
Apollo will continue to offer his delicious spices and recipes to his neighborhood. He cannot wait for more amazing interactions with customers and to prove again how honest and trustworthy humankind can be.