S2-51. Spek & Bone - Mike Fuller

In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I chat to Mike Fuller, co-owner and operator of Spek & Bone in Stellenbosch, as the restaurant approaches its tenth anniversary.

We talk about Mike’s journey through the Bertus Basson kitchens and how that experience shaped the way he approaches food, wine and the business of running a restaurant. He explains how Spek & Bone has evolved from its original wine-bar idea into a food-focused neighbourhood restaurant, and why the menu is deliberately relaxed while still drawing on serious culinary skills.

We also talk about wine by the glass, building relationships with regular customers and the realities of running a small restaurant in a highly seasonal market. Mike shares his thinking on the move away from formal fine dining, the importance of looking after local customers and the growing community of restaurants in Stellenbosch that is working together to build the town as a food destination.

And we return to where the conversation began: attention. Mike explains why social media matters, but why word of mouth and the experience guests have once they arrive remain the real foundations of a restaurant’s success.

• www.rwm2012.com
• On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner
• Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson
• All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited
• Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay