Mzoli’s – the ultimate user-generated restaurant
Posted on 02. May, 2007 by Jonathan Cherry in Uncategorized
Yesterday, being a public holiday, it was decided that lunch at a famous Cape Town institution was in order.
So we headed out on the N2 to Mzoli’s in Gugulethu (‘Our Pride’), to soak up the vibe and enjoy what is widely reported to be the best braaied meat in the city.
Mzoli’s is a butchery, which doubles up as a very popular restaurant. But a restaurant with a difference – and soon we discovered it to be the ultimate social networking, user-generated business outside of Wikipedia.
You start off in the butchery – choosing from a vast selection of meat cuts, Your meat is handed to you in a huge enamel bowl (secret marinate optional), which you take to the braai kings at the back of the shop for a good grilling.
Head out to the ‘restaurant’ section of the shop, around the corner and take a seat.
The first thing you’ll soon notice is that there are no waitron staff. If you want drinks – you have to go to the house next to number 4 across the road.
You’ll probably be offered a seat at the game of cards already underway and a Jack on the rocks, but if you’re focussed on your mission – you’ll get the beer you’re after in the fridge in the kitchen
Bread (good with the marinade) can be bought at the spaza shop on the corner.
The idea is that Mzoli’s supplies the meat (and a wet cloth if you’re looking suitably messy) and leaves the rest to the neighbourhood business community to supply. Even the music is courtesy of restaurant goer’s parked cars.
The place was packed by 2pm, with loads of people waiting for tables throughout the rest of the afternoon.
It was crazy. A restaurant that doesn’t try to own the supply chain? But it totally worked. And the three ATM’s surrounding the place are a clear sign that people are spending much cash there.
For us – this classic user-generated restaurant makes you wonder why other Cape Town restaurants still insist on charging a corkage fee and now also a service surcharge of 10%.
UPDATE: Check out The Cherryflava Show pilot which we shot at Mzoli’s for more:
13 Responses to “Mzoli’s – the ultimate user-generated restaurant”
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Rich...!
02. May, 2007
Dude, wanna go on Thursday?
Henk Kleynhans
12. May, 2007
I love Mzoli’s!
Here’s a post I wrote a while back about wine tasting at Mzoli’s:
http://www.yeahfi.com/2005/12/township-entrepreneurship-and-naked.html
Amien
05. Jun, 2007
Wow! Great info. I wish, I could have such a writing skills.
Jimmy Wales
17. Sep, 2007
Hilarious but true story…
I am Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia. Today I was in Mzoli’s having lunch, and meeting with Mzoli himself, and explaining Wikipedia to him. I searched on my cellphone for Mzoli’s to see if we had an article about it in Wikipedia, and found this blog post comparing Mzoli’s to Wikipedia! How fun.
Didi
22. Sep, 2007
Mzoli’s is great its a good representative of township life in south africa!! love it! will be there with a bunch of friends on Monday!! its braai day!
max khumalo
01. Oct, 2007
Hi
just to let eveybody know that Mzoli’s outsells any butchery in the Western Cape province at any given weekend (an assumption i had made three years ago).It is no surprise that the place has become legend.Someday on Google Earth you will see the stretch of hundreds of cars converged around the Mzolis.
Go and see for yourselves.
Michael W.
16. Mar, 2008
MZOLI’s is a unique social experience no one should miss on a visit to cape town.
you missed to touch the aspect of safety in your video though. Include some history about the place (police trying to raid that place because of public drinking) and maybe an interview with one of the family of mzoli’s.
However, great video, guys!
Fil
24. Mar, 2010
Great post! Thank you for useful information)))
Ayub
13. May, 2010
Mzoli opens as early as 7:30am, so for those going for a countryside tour from Noorshoek or Windhoek through the locations to Sea-point. Pass by Mzoli’s in Guguletu, you wont regret. Mzoli is a mixture of all class of people, the meat (Eenyama) is Superb…
All world cup go “fanners” ask for mzoli in Gugultu and you will be there. I miss the place especially weekends.
Guys have fun
Torrent
29. Jun, 2010
t is no surprise that the place has become legend.Someday on Google Earth you will see the stretch of hundreds of cars converged around the Mzolis.
Go and see for yourselves.
Commission surendettement
01. Sep, 2010
I am just new to your blog and just spent about 1 hour and 30 minutes lurking and reading. I think I will frequent your blog from now on after going through some of your posts. I will definitely learn a lot from them.Some pension plans provide members if they are disabled. This may take the form of the early entry into a retirement plan of a disabled member under normal retirement age.
Pictures torrents
07. Sep, 2010
Despite the merry making and general hubbub that is Mzoli\’s Place, it is extremely popular. Celebs hang out here as do out-of-towners and international visitors, who wouldn\’t miss a chance to visit the place when in Cape Town. People dress up to attend the bustling butchery, which is also a music venue and something of a fashion extravaganza – the girls all look beautiful and sport a variety of hair styles, and men sport fancy shoes and tight jeans – where you can bring your own alcohol, and people do, or buy it in a nearby liquor store.
Ndikho Kwinana
17. Nov, 2010
Mzoli’s is a great and wonderful place to be but they need to improve in terms of their security systems and stop customers from bribing the guys that braai meat so that their meat dont queue up like everyboy’s. it has happened quite a number of times when people that order meat after me get to eat before me….service must improve..first in first out bases….otherwise being there is just simply wonderful…