FORT GREENE — After 17 years of serving Durban oxtail stew, peri peri wings and bunny chow to Fort Greene residents, local fixture Madiba says it’s at risk of closing.
The South African restaurant has launched an Indiegogo campaign called #SaveMadiba to help pay rising rent bills and make necessary repairs.
“We know that Madiba has become your second home,” chef and owner Mark Henegan posted on the campaign page. “We want to continue to offer the menu, experience and support that have put us on the global map.”
Henegan said the restaurant has been struggling due to the rising costs of operating a business and what he calls “questionable lease renewal” and an “ongoing tax dispute,” according to the Indiegogo page.
First reported in Forbes, Henegan said he’s lost restaurants in Miami, Asheville, N.C., and his Madiba outpost in Harlem. He tells Forbes he has accumulated $200,000 in high-cost debt and is in the middle of a tax dispute. He’s also been operating without a long-term lease for seven years, making it difficult to get an investor.
With the Indiegogo campaign, Henegan is hoping to regain the money he owes. Those who give $200 will get 10 percent off their check for a year. Those who contribute the highest donation, $2,000, will get 25 percent off their check for two years and receive an exclusive five-course meal from Henegan.
So far, the restaurant has raised $9,985 from 47 backers.
Aside from serving traditional South African dishes to the Fort Greene community, the restaurant, named after former anti-apartheid revolutionary Nelson Mandela’s clan, has been vocal in social and political issues, hosting events on Mandela's birthday and even banning presidential candidate Donald Trump from its premises over the summer.
Henegan said he’ll determine whether the restaurant will shut its doors depending on how much money is raised.
