The larney Shimmy Beach Club at the V&A Waterfront has shut its doors indefinitely as the Covid-19 pandemic has killed off its business.
The latest casualty of the Cape Town nightclub scene, the party hotspot has been closed since the beginning of the lockdown in March and did not open even after the president relaxed the lockdown regulations.
In a statement posted on Facebook yesterday, Shimmy said the lockdown resulted in crippling limitations on their events, which depended on thousands of patrons.
“Under the current limitations, Shimmy cannot operate in a viable manner. In light of the second wave of the pandemic, Shimmy cannot afford to be irresponsible with the health and lives of its patrons and employees and therefore has no option but to cease trading,” the club said.
Sad pictures of beachfront jol made the rounds on social media, showing weeds sprouting between the pavings and the pool looking a sickly green.
A sorry sight to see for a fine dining restaurant with multiple bars and a sprawling deck leading down to a private beach.
Shimmy once boasted hosting Cape Town’s biggest parties, which were headlined by crowd pulling acts including Black Coffee, Twin Atlantic and The Parlotones.
The club said they have been negotiating terms with Shimmy’s landlord to re-open for summer but to date, they have not been able to reach an agreement.
“We have mandated the landlord to seek an alternative operator if they insist on opening the venue earlier, provided that they facilitate the re-employment of Shimmy’s employees by the replacement operator,” reads the statement.
The club also noted that its website is currently inactive.
velani.ludidi@inl.co.za