Customers having lunch at two popular Kalk Bay restaurants got a lot more than they bargained for on Friday when a huge wave shattered four large picture windows which usually offer patrons one of the city’s most sought-after views.
Furniture was tossed around and electrical appliances destroyed in the affected eateries, the upstairs Harbour House and Live Bait below.
“We were almost hypnotised by the huge waves smashing against the window.
“Then all of a sudden it just smashed through the window,” a still shocked Live Bait customer, Michelle Attala, said.
Their waitress had warned them they should move away from the windows before high tide at 4pm, but they had joked that they would “be brave”
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The incident occurred at about 1.30pm.
It’s not the first incident at Live Bait; the restaurant was damaged in 2008 when a large wave smashed through the windows.
Polana, another restaurant next door, has had its windows broken several times.
Garth Venter, operations manager of the Harbour House Restaurant Group, which owns Harbour House and Live Bait, said: “We often have people coming here for the experience of eating with the waves crashing against the windows. We are not surprised that this has happened as we are right on the harbour, so with the right swell this will happen.”
One customer was injured in the incident, but Venter said he was not badly hurt and had been treated immediately.
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The wave destroyed the front windows of both restaurants and flung around pieces of the furniture, including our bar. Electrical appliances such as the soda fountain and the espresso machine, were simply destroyed.”
Cecil Burgher, the restaurant group’s maintenance manager, was already addressing the damage on Friday afternoon.
He said he had a “big job” ahead of him.
“I was working on the window, just checking for any leaks, when I saw the wave coming. I moved back and it smashed right through. The water just rushed in,” he said.
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This is only my second day on the job and now I have a massive task ahead of me. But I’m glad no one was seriously hurt.”
Employees were mopping floors and sweeping up debris, while more water splashed in periodically through the broken windows.
Venter said: “Besides the loss of furniture and damages, we have also lost a big chunk of our trade for the day.
“However this is part of our business, and there are parts of the restaurant which are unaffected which will remain open.”
Weekend Argus