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By Chelsea Geach 
6h ago
Cape Town: The iconic Langebaan Die Strandloper seafood restaurant has been damaged in a fire suspected to have been started by vandals.
The fire destroyed more than half of the open-air restaurant Wednesday night, devastating the upper seating areas and service area.
On Friday, owners Caron and Justin Maltby were recovering from the shock as police investigated the cause.
“It was not a mistake or an accident,” said Caron. “There were two separate fire points, so that’s what makes them think it wasn’t just someone trying to stay warm at night.”
Fortunately, the restaurant was not completely destroyed.
“We were lucky because the firefighters arrived very quickly. It could have been much worse. The whole thing was not burned to the ground: there is 65% damage to the structure. “
Die Strandloper is a world renowned seafood venue that is a popular destination for local and international tourists alike. Its rustic fishing village decor adds a sense of community to the dining experience, as local delicacies are prepared over an open fire while bread is baked in the stone ovens by the beach. It was established by Justin’s father 30 years ago, then passed it on to him and his wife.
“Justin and I have had and managed it for almost 20 years,” said Caron. “This is why this is quite emotional. It was a shock to see our beloved restaurant tattered and burned.”
Before the vandals occurred, the global coronavirus pandemic was already affecting the restaurant as many reservations had to be canceled.
“We closed about a week before closing,” said Caron. “Our focus is on our staff; we just want to keep them running. It’s a difficult time for everyone. “
The first few weeks of confinement brought two minor vandalism attacks on the Die Strandloper facility, with small items broken or stolen. Caron believes it is this type of vandalism that intensified and caused the fire. They won’t start rebuilding until just before the restaurant can start serving customers again after closing.
“We are going to leave it as it is for now,” he said. “We are too scared in case there is more vandalism damage in the future.”
The news of the fire raged on social media, where Die Strandloper fans around the world left messages of support for the Maltbys.
“We want to thank everyone for all the overwhelming support and concern, it has certainly given us strength,” Caron wrote in response.
“Today is a new day and we are going to get up and, whatever happens, we plan to rebuild and reopen our restaurant as soon as the closure allows.”
SAPS spokesman Colonel Andrè Traut confirmed that police were investigating the fire.
“This office can confirm that Langebaan police are investigating the circumstances surrounding a fire at a local restaurant that occurred on Wednesday night to determine if an arson was committed,” Traut said.
“Our detectives are still gathering evidence and it is too early to speculate on the status of the investigation.”
Weekend Argus
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