At least three Stellenbosch restaurants will not open their doors to customers again after temporary closures in line with lockdown regulations. The Trumpet Tree announced its closure on 29 May, while Corlandi Bezuidenhout, owner of All Good Things and Meraki announced the closures of both cafés on 8 May.
Bezuidenhout posted on social media, explaining that rent negotiations proved unfruitful and, therefore, the sister cafés had closed. The Trumpet Tree (TTT) initially closed temporarily due to lockdown restrictions, but eventually also took to social media to announce its permanent closure.
Restaurants Sister cafés, All Good Things and Meraki, also closed down in early May. PHOTO: Instagram/@allgoodthingscafe
“We are mainly a student restaurant/bar and we make our money from selling alcohol. We cannot cover our overheads with takeaways and deliveries with no students in Stellenbosch,” said Ter de Waal, owner of TTT.
Unsure of when TTT would be able to operate at full capacity again, De Waal said the restaurant had to close.
“We will only be allowed to do this again on Level 1 and I don’t think we will get to Level 1 this year. We can’t stay in the venue rent free until we get to Level 1, so we decided to close,” De Waal said.
Staff woes
“After 11 years of the most amazing memories, ones we could not possibly put into words, we are devastated to announce that we will be closing The Trumpet Tree for good,” De Waal said on Facebook and Instagram.
“I’m so hurt. It’s like I’m having a nightmare, because The Trumpet Tree was our home and we had very nice bosses. It’s painful,” said waitress Khanyi Musa Ndlangalavu Matu, who had been an employee since February 2018.
Linn Hugo, a vendor and customer at The Trumpet Tree, said that the staff were always ‘super nice’ and ‘energetic’.
PHOTO: Facebook /The Trumpet Tree
“It’s not easy to find work these days, and we have to provide for our families. We are going to struggle,” Ndlangalavu Matu said.
The staff will receive UIF for the first 3 months after closure, said De Waal. In the meantime, he is in the process of trying to find work for them.
“As soon as I am able to get something going again, I will contact them,” De Waal said.
Broader implications
Even though just the restaurant will be closing, local businesses that depended on The Trumpet Tree’s monthly market will also be affected.
Adam and Eve Collab is a Stellenbosch store that organised the monthly markets at TTT. Founder of the collaboration, Daneel Stone, said that the store was seen as one with the restaurant and will be impacted due to its closure.
Ter de Waal, owner of The Trumpet Tree, said that the restaurant cannot stay open at this time.
PHOTO: Facebook /The Trumpet Tree
“With time we managed to build a database together. There were people to eat and drink for Trumpet and we got feet through the store to shop,” Stone said.
A second-hand clothing retailer, Linn Hugo, owner of LiefLinn, was a vendor at the monthly markets and said that the restaurant will be missed.
“[The closure] will definitely negatively impact my business as it is one of the few markets held in Stellenbosch,” Hugo said.