Durban says goodbye to Surf Riders on South Beach

Surf Riders has closed its South Beach café, ending one of Durban’s most familiar beachfront spots.

For years, the café at 17 Erskine Terrace was part of the Golden Mile's everyday life.

It was where surfers stopped after being in the water, families settled in for breakfast, dogs were welcomed and tourists found themselves right in the middle of Durban’s beachfront buzz.

That is why the closure has hit a nerve.

Surf Riders was never only about the food. Its appeal was also where it sat and what happened around it. The beach was right there. So were the promenade, surf lessons, runners, cyclists, families and holidaymakers moving through South Beach.

It gave people a reason to stay a little longer.

The restaurant has now left the site after its municipal lease arrangement came to an end.

eThekwini Municipality says the property has already been through a new leasing process and another tenant has been appointed. The identity of that tenant has not yet been made public.

There are also financial issues between the City and the former tenant, which the municipality says are being dealt with separately.

For regulars, though, the loss is much simpler.

A familiar beachfront meeting place is gone.

Surf Riders became known for its breakfasts, burgers, seafood and easy-going atmosphere, but much of its charm came from the setting itself.

You could arrive sandy, barefoot or straight from a walk on the promenade and it never felt out of place.

The brand is not disappearing completely. Surf Riders continues to operate at Cabana Beach and Umhlanga Boulevard.

But South Beach will feel different without it.

And with summer around the corner, the next question is what will take its place on one of Durban’s busiest stretches of beachfront.