Fish Hoek restaurant row billed as battle of commerce against culture

Does Fish Hoek need a facelift?

Or is the seaside refuge of the “newly wed and nearly dead” — as it is affectionately known in Cape Town — just fine the way she is?

That’s the question underpinning a heated debate over Fish Hoek’s main restaurant, The Galley, situated on a prime piece of municipal beachfront property. The restaurant’s lease goes on auction later this month (November 23) in what has been described as another battle for the soul of a suburb that got its first liquor licence just five years ago.

Now the beachfront looks set for a major upgrade that could usher in a new era of commerce and transfer the relatively quiet beachfront into another Muizenberg.

Over the past 27 years The Galley has become an institution under the helm of local residents Mathea and Herbie Eichel, who appear to have both many admirers and detractors. In addition to managing the busy restaurant, bistro and takeaway business, Mathea is a part-time performer on Friday nights when she sings Tina Turner hit songs. Supporters say she has kept prices low enough for cash-strapped pensioners to afford contemplative cappuccinos in the afternoon sun. 

Eichel’s detractors say the restaurant service is not befitting its prime location. Some also took exception to the “Khoisan hut” she erected beside the restaurant as a nod to both her Khoisan heritage and the history of the Fish Hoek valley, which has been inhabited for thousands of years. Eichel’s insistence on the hut — she defied council attempts to remove it — polarised opinion among regular patrons.

They say it is us in charge of the beach, but this is not true. They (her accusers) are just aggravating things. Yes, I will go bid. But how do I as a family business compete in the corporate world? I cannot compete with that.

—  The Galley restaurant proprietor,
Mathea Eichel

Eichel told TimesLIVE Premium she intended bidding at the upcoming auction but doubted she could compete against corporate rivals with deeper pockets. She said she and her husband had invested several million rand in the property since taking over in 1996 and had seen it through many rough times, including the Covid-19 lockdown. The business employs up to 135 staff in season and supports needy families with school fees via an education trust, along with other community outreach projects.

Eichel said she felt unfairly targeted by some detractors who accused her of seeking a monopoly of beachfront activities: “They say it is us in charge of the beach, but this is not true. They (her accusers) are just aggravating things. Yes, I will go bid. But how do I as a family business compete in the corporate world? I cannot compete with that.”

She said it would be unfortunate to lose the lease, after costly renovations and years of developing the site, which cost more than R100,000 in site rental and additional security per month.

The Eichel’s run a small museum in a section of the restaurant and host community events, such as Fish Hoek Museum meetings, and even a recent Khoisan wedding. “My ancestors walked these very beaches. For the Khoisan community this is a sacred beach,” she said, adding that her main concern was that the site retain its heritage character.

“I don’t want to take over — I am not living forever. But whoever takes over must keep the legacy of looking after the Fish Hoek community.”

Meanwhile, the local ratepayers organisation points an accusing finger at the city for not keeping the community suitably informed about the future of a site they say requires attention and upgrading.

“The lease of the Galley restaurant has long been a contentious issue among the Fish Hoek community,” Fish Hoek Valley Ratepayers and Residents Association chairperson Brian Youngblood said in a memo to the city sent earlier this month. “There are those that remember how the current lessees turned around a loss making business. Many appreciate the contribution these lessees have made to the Fish Hoek community over the last more than 20 years and many of our residents enjoy the fellowship at the Galley. However, for several years concerns have been expressed about several aspects of the Galley lease,” Youngblood said

They included restraint of trade in the beachfront area, parking allocation and the rental rate.

James Vos, the city’s head of economic development, said the final lease approval process would likely take three or four months. He said the city intended leasing the property “for purposes similar to its current usage, that is, restaurant/food and beverage services, beachfront amenities, and so on.”

“The city intends to grant the long-term lease rights to a suitable lessee who will help the site reach its full potential as a tourism catalyst for the area and result in the retention and creation of local economic opportunities,” Vos said.