Saving Florida Road after rapper AKA’s murder
Shalin Simon, owner of Cappello on Florida Road — next to Wish Restaurant where AKA was shot — can’t believe he’s busy revamping his restaurant to the tune of almost R2m. Two months ago, he was ready to call it quits. He had gone as far as advising his landlord he would not be renewing his lease.
He shakes his head and laughs at his own incredulity as he explains his about-turn.
“The night AKA was gunned down last year February, it killed Florida Road and all the businesses too. Our businesses took an overnight dive. Plummeted. We were not prepared for it. This was devastating.
“We had to let 20 staff go who have been with us for over seven years. We lost 70% of our business,” explains Shalin.
The once-bustling street where parking was a nightmare has plenty of spaces open — an indication of the mood.
Restaurants reduced staff to keep doors open and to cushion the impact of the exodus of patrons who were fearful of Florida Road, despite media reports that the AKA incident was not a random criminal act but a hit.
That truth brought little comfort to trade. Restaurants began closing. For months, business owners watched in dismay as numbers fell and the lights — both literally and figuratively — went out.
But, like with Ground Zero, Florida Road businesses decided something had to be done. There was too much to lose. A fight or fright response kicked in. Slowly, they emerged from the ashes of the AKA incident, and decided that this was Durban’s iconic restaurant scene and they were not prepared to see it fold from one isolated incident.
“We came together as a group of business owner. We realised that nobody is coming to save us. We were on our own. The perception of Florida Road not being safe was out there and we had to do something. For the first time we came together as one community. Many of us met our neighbours, other business owners, for the first time. We shared the same challenges post AKA. It was not our businesses, it was this one incident. We had to change the perception of Florida Road not being safe because of this one tragedy,” explains Ndu Mncwabe, owner of Authentiq, also next to Wish Restaurant.
“Something had to give. Either we give up, or we stay and fight. Most of us decided to stay and do just that. We had too much invested and we believed in this precinct.
“Over the festive period we came up with a plan to market Florida Road. We approached role players like the City to boost the metro presence so our customers felt safer. We also asked for better lighting and got more street lighting, and all that helped,” says Ndu.
Plans are afoot to bring in more security, repair street lighting and engage with the local municipality to come on board to change the perception of the strip — and bring it back to its glory days.
That energy of revival has spurred on businesses to fight to keep their doors open. It seems to be working. There are signs of new restaurants opening and repair works are being done.
Down the road, just a hop, skip and a jump from the spot of the AKA incident, Cubana is also closed for revamping, confirming the new winds of change to come in the energy on this famous strip.
Shalin is also putting the final touches to a huge image he plans on putting up of AKA in his restaurant as a tribute to the late rapper.
“Since the alleged killers were caught, there’s been some closure. The bad energy is gone and we want to create new memories. We don’t want to forget AKA and that’s why I want to pay tribute to him through his portrait on our wall. But we want Florida Road to become that happy place again. It’s time and we’re excited.
“There’s also elections, so we’re hopeful of a change in leadership in the city too and that they are more responsive to our challenges as business. Change is coming and Florida Road is that place to be again,” says Shalin.
Landlords too, are breathing life onto the road. “As investors in Durban and major role players on Florida Road in particular, we believe in this city and its potential. We will be reinvesting almost R2bn in the city of Durban including Florida Road where we are finalising the sale of five of our 22 properties there. The proceeds will be reinvested back onto the precinct,” says UK-born investor Jonny Friedman, of Urban Lime, which set up base in South Africa 24 years ago to invest in inner-city regeneration.
It’s that partnership of community, investors and business owners who refuse to give up which makes for a strong comeback.
Florida Road is back. Alive. And full of hope.
Zohra Teke, a freelance journalist and part-owner of a restaurant on the precinct, writes about plans to uplift the area