Maltese entrepreneur in South Africa trying to pick up the pieces after having to close down his successful brasserie

When Nigel Pace ventured into opening his own classy Cape Town restaurant, little did he imagine that five years later, it could be a casualty of a novel coronavirus, crushing a dream he had poured his soul into.

As he established his new business in South Africa, the Maltese entrepreneur faced many a challenge, including a devastating fire and water restrictions, but COVID-19 was never on the cards. And when it struck, it dealt the final blow to a successful enterprise.

Housed in a Georgian heritage building in central Cape Town, The Stack was a brasserie, bar and private members’ club. The original plan was to have hotel rooms above but these were foregone when less investment was secured.

The last tenant of the 170-year-old property was a traditional gentleman’s club, “so the bones of the fabulous building were in place when we stumbled upon it”. Otherwise, everything inside it was changed.

A general manager for luxury hotels and resorts for about 20 years, Pace got deeply involved in the day-to-day operation, fulfilling every role.

His now ex-wife is an interior decorator and their combined expertise “sounded like a match made in heaven”, Pace said.

“We were convinced we could create something extremely unique.”

But the last year was the toughest. With South Africa in a deep recession, local spending down considerably, a finicky customer base that expected more for a lot less and scheduled power outages, sometimes in the middle of lunch and dinner service, the restaurant industry suffered a massive financial impact.

Then the pandemic was the straw that broke the camel’s back, although when The Stack was forced to shut in March, the thinking was it would be up and running within six weeks and normal life would resume. It was wishful thinking.

South Africa went into lockdown early, implementing some of the most draconian measures, Pace said. But worst of all was an “inexplicable” ban on the sale of tobacco and alcohol, presumably stemming from the violence rising from its abuse, particularly in less affluent areas.

I have learnt valuable lessons the hard way

Restaurants could reopen in June but trying to operate without selling alcohol was “pure craziness” for Pace.

Over the past three months, fixed expenses had continued to pile up and every event and private party, which the venue depended on, was cancelled.

Half its business relied on international leisure and corporate visitors to Cape Town, so shutting that tap had a devastating effect, leaving him with no option but the “gut-wrenching” decision to pull the plug.

Messages flooded in when he announced that “sad day” in a Facebook post. It was a base for many in the city, and the feeling of home, steak, frites and Stack cocktails would be sorely missed, his clientele and friends commented, cherishing the memories.

Industry people empathised and identified with Pace’s situation, pointing out how the pandemic had crippled many businesses and offering support.

Pace has no doubt the restaurant industry was one of the hardest hit, with closures piling up in Cape Town.

“Running a hospitality business is not for sissies,” he said, expressing his respect for those who will survive and continue to fight the challenges.

“This business has completely consumed my life, and as a first-time entrepreneur, I have learnt valuable lessons the hard way,” Pace admitted.

As he starts to pick up the pieces, Pace acknowledged that beyond his personal losses, the toughest part was saying goodbye to his 29 employees, loyal until the bitter end.

“My biggest concern is that these amazing individuals are now out of work and finding a new job is not going to be easy,” he said, mentioning them by name and sharing his contact details with the hospitality industry for support.

Pace himself is returning to hotel management and hopes the right opportunity will present itself soon. Meanwhile, in an ideal world, an investor would buy The Stack and save the business, but he is not optimistic in the current climate.

Pace left Malta 25 years ago. Asked whether he considered returning, he said he has never been more grateful to have an EU passport.

“I have obviously built a life in South Africa but I fear the country will be left in poor shape once the dust settles. Back to Malta? Why not!”

Looking at this life chapter, he said it made him realise you never stop learning new things.

“As a general manager of a luxury hotel, you always have all the resources and managers at your fingertips. Running my own business, I had no option but to do most of the dirty work. It taught me how to respect every bit of revenue the business ever earned and spent.

“I am proud to have created a business the likes of which had never been seen in Cape Town. However, I will certainly not miss the sleepless nights stressing about my own family’s financial well-being and the families of my staff.”