Following the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on local businesses, two experienced restaurant enthusiasts Will Rawson and Wiehan Mostert have risen to the challenge of bringing life back to Newlands in Cape Town.
Starting a restaurant in the pandemic is a risky move, but the co-founders of Furley’s Bar & Grill (Furley’s) saw a valuable opportunity to bring a family-orientated restaurant to the Newlands area, which had also felt the impact of the pandemic. Their offering brings fresh life and opportunity to what residents may fondly remember as the Golden Spur Steak Ranch for the past 18 years.
Furley’s is a new family-friendly restaurant and bar located in the heart of Newlands on the corner of Main Road and Dean Street. Having opened its doors at the end of 2021, the restaurant aims to bring vibrance and excitement back to the southern suburbs of Cape Town after many restaurants and bars suffered from the economic fallout of the last two years. The founders also envision bringing about meaningful change through skills development and job creation.
“We were inspired to bring life back into the community by creating an environment where everyone is welcome, and where our patrons can enjoy real value for money. These were the most fundamental foundations for us, because we want Furley’s to feel like a home away from home for everyone who walks through our doors,” says Rawson.
The massive 500sqm space has been refurbished into a modern and welcoming restaurant and bar environment, boasting a children’s play area, a stage for live entertainment, a fully stocked bar and delicious food and great service.
The vision for Furley’s is to be much more than a restaurant. Will and Wiehan see it as a favourite gathering spot for the community, but also a place where staff members can grow their skillsets. The team are well-positioned to serve happiness to customers through delicious, quality meals, and imparting their combined restaurant and operations experience of over 28 years to employees.
“We also want to bring value to the community through bringing job opportunities and on-the-job training to our staff members as we grow,” Rawson adds.
Rawson believes that bringing real value to customers is imperative. “We really wanted to develop offerings that make people feel that they are getting great deals for what they are paying for, and that is accessible to all budgets without compromising on food quality.”
To engage local communities, promotions of value packed specials are being communicated on the restaurant’s social media pages, from after-school lunch specials for kids, to two-for-one burger specials for dinner on Wednesdays.
“We are constantly working on ways to bring great deals to our customers through offering great combos and special events. When there’s a sporting event taking place, a milestone birthday party, or an event to celebrate, we want to be there for our customers by giving them a great space to socialise and celebrate,” says Rawson.
Furley’s Bar & Grill is open from Mondays to Saturdays between 11h00 and 23h00 and is closed on Sundays. The menu offers a wide variety of generous meals from burgers, steaks and pizzas, to lunchtime specials with a range of dishes that change weekly.
I absolutely love the fact that they cater for kids as well, such great value for money, definitely worth a try