A MORNINGSIDE eatery, The Burger Bar, will close its doors as the business was hard-hit by the Covid-19 lockdown and the subsequent unrest in KwaZulu-Natal.
In September, Blue Zoo Cafe closed after 24 years in the business, while Parc café in Glenwood relocated in July.
Speaking to the Berea Mail, The Burger Bar founder and owner, Nabeel Ismail said he opened his first store in late 2016 in a South Beach car wash.
“We traded at the car wash for a year until they closed down,” he said.
Also read: Sad farewell as Morningside café closes its doors
In 2017, The Burger Bar set up shop at 123 Problem Mkhize Road (Cowey Road), where it quickly became a popular gourmet burger spot.
“Being at Cowey Road definitely built our brand much faster than expected. We met lots of new people. Customers became friends and friends became as close as family to us. It was a beautiful journey, one that will never be forgotten,” said Ismail.
Despite his passion for serving food, the business owner soon hit obstacles.
“Over the past two years, it has been a real rollercoaster ride. We first had to deal with Covid-19, as well as continuous load shedding, which resulted in the loss of sales. Then the July unrest affected sales and supply of goods for some time and, lastly, the cost of food increased drastically. Everyone wants value for money. Trying to keep your prices affordable enough for everyone, and make a living at the same time, isn’t easy. Unfortunately, it reached a stage where I couldn’t take on any more obstacles, financially or emotionally,” said Ismail.
Also read:A sad goodbye to beloved Glenwood cafe
The business owner does not plan to reopen the store at another location.
“Besides money, my life and soul was put into running my business and I always had huge expectations of growing the brand to be a burger franchise nationally. With the current climate in our country, I do not foresee myself investing any more time or money into setting up a new store anytime soon,” concluded Ismail.
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