The Cattle Baron Seafood Grill & Bistro has re-opened its doors on the shores of the Storms River Mouth in the Eastern Cape’s popular tourism attraction of Tsitsikamma National Park, South Africa.
The restaurant and adjacent Parks Shop was burnt to the ground by a fire on Friday 25 November last year. According to a report by Derrick Spies, a reporter for News24, the fire is believed to have started in the kitchen of the restaurant and quickly spread to the adjoining shop.
At the time of the fire, SANParks spokesperson, Nandi Mgwadlamba, said that the rest of the park’s facilities had not been affected by the fire and people could still access the popular trail to the suspension bridge over the river mouth, which starts behind the restaurant.
Integrated tourism group Tourvest erected an unbelievable new structure in record time to keep the popular restaurant and curio store open. Many tourists and local hikers frequent the world-renowned Tsitsikamma National Park year-round.
The reopening of the Cattle Baron has attracted applause and great reviews from contributors on the travel review website TripAdvisor.com. ‘Magical’ is how one user described the new structure, adding: ‘What a splendid job to get everything up and running so quickly after the fire.’ Another user gave the restaurant a ‘Well deserved five stars after what they’ve achieved’, commending the ‘amazing setting, great service, ice cold drinks … and good food’, while someone else applauded its ‘absolutely stunning views’.
Brian Seaman, CEO of Tourvest Restaurants and Taverns, says he is proud of the quick turnaround time in erecting the new structure. “Thanks to the amazing co-operation from SANParks, we were able to welcome back guests in a mere two weeks after the fire damage. The top quality of food and service remains exactly the same. We’ve had very positive feedback from our customers and, thanks to the fantastic new site on the rocks, we couldn’t be happier with the breathtaking views and fresh ocean breezes,” says Seaman.
