Victory Lounge closes – to reopen elsewhere
An iconic feature of Durban’s old Casbah has shut after 73 years Billy Moodley
IN 1945, the year World War II ended, a triumphant story began. The Victory Lounge Cafe, a restaurant specialising in freshly prepared meals, sweetmeats, savouries, cakes and confectionery, opened.
Ramsamy Kisten Moodley, together with some business associates, opened the cafe on what was Grey Street.
The restaurant was a vibrant, bustling spot ahead of its time, serving milky bar shakes, sweetmeats, curries, savoury snacks and confectioneries that were the highlight of many childhood memories.
RK Moodley could hardly have envisaged a nearly 100-year legacy that would lead his son, Billy, to live a life of sentiment in honour of his father as he sought to keep his principles alive.
Billy Moodley, 67, was born in Durban in 1950, the eldest son of RK and Sivagamy. He schooled in Durban. At the age of 17 he went to England to study further.
“Our parents sent us away partly to protect us from the political instability of the time,”says Billy’s wife Kanagee, 67, who was a driving force behind the cafe.
Billy completed a business course in London. When he came back to Durban, he began working for an electronics company.
“The Victory Lounge began growing so fast and dad needed manpower, so I decided to join in running the shop and my brother followed soon after. I really enjoyed working in the shop with my father. I had the best training,” says Billy.
“When I was a boy, after school we would report to the store. After watching a movie, we would have to report to the store, it was something that became a part of us.”
Billy rose to the challenge of taking on Victory Lounge and was soon at the forefront, supervising and overseeing . During the early 70s the Grey Street area of the Casbah, as it was known, saw an influx of Indian tradesmen.
This greatly benefited the Victory Lounge, further establishing the brand.
“There were local Indian merchants all around us and we were a family.”
Kanagee says the camaraderie between shops was amazing. “There were Patel’s and Bhaji’s across the road. If ever any shop ran short of ingredients we would borrow from each other, there was just a true sense of goodwill between us all that cannot be found today,” she said.
Victory Lounge was no longer a shop to get a good meal at a reasonable price, it had become a meeting ground for the gangsters of the Casbah, the ordinary passerby, celebrities, old friends, families and couples. Billy and Kanagee had found a family.
“Patel’s used to buy 30 doughnuts from us every week to feed the homeless people that came begging at their shop and if we had vegetarian customers, we would send them to Patel’s. That was how we were with each other. “There were always the regular customers who became more like family. Some are still around today. The staff too were loyal and close. We always had an excellent relationship with them, they never hesitated to go the extra mile.” says Billy.
Billy and his wife have lived a life filled with reward, and blessing. They recall their first meeting. “My mother and Billy’s mother travelled to London together and when the families met, Billy and I met,” says Kanagee.
They met again in England and began a four-year courtship. “We came back to South Africa, we were married at the city hall and the rest is history,” says Kanagee.
Billy decided to take over the store after his father died, running it with the same zest his father had. Soon after that, Billy’s brother began running the Chatsworth branch.
The recipes used were passed down from previous generations.
“We used a huge book filled with recipes and methods,” says Billy.
The shop once had around 60 staff. Over the years the Victory Lounge has helped its staff, people looking for a warm meal for less money and the jobless.
“There were beggars who frequented the store and we always had a meal for them. Some customers did not have enough money, but we always made a plan.
“We want to open up a soup kitchen to complement the new store which will be launched at a new location soon.
“It’s rewarding to see the children of our previous staff do so well in their lives and know that the Victory Lounge allowed us to play a part in the betterment of so many lives,” says Billy.
The business thrived over 73 years but closed on June 17 this year.
“We are currently looking to reopen in umhlanga.
We know that a lot of the regulars will not be able to visit the new store, but a lot of the Indian people will again be able to do so.
In recent years we have lost a lot of the Indian customer base, simply because of our location in the CBD. It was just inaccessible for a lot of people. This was one of main reasons for closing, says Billy.
After serving the community all his life, Billy and Kanagee will supervise the new store, to be run by Billy’s nephew, Tibby.
“I trained my nephew. He also grew up with the shop as a major part of his life and he is very much like me when it comes to the daily operations,” says Billy.
Loyal followers can look forward to again savouring the familiar tastes of their childhood.
“I want to thank the people out there for their support over all these years, especially the support and kind words from the public after announcing the closure,” says Billy. Name: Billy Moodley Born: May 24, 1950 Father: Ramsamy Kisten “RK” Moodley Mother: Sivagamy Siblings: Vickey, Samba, Jaya, Radha and Madhi Primary school: Ghandi Desai Secondary School: College Wife: Kanagee Sastri Children: son Kamalan and daughter Prenika. Both my children were born in the UK and live and work there now. Biggest challenge: My wife was diagnosed with cancer two years ago; we went through everything together, all the treatment and recovery. She’s in remission now but those were hard times that we got through together.