End of an Era: Beefcakes Shuts Down

After 15 years as a fixture in South Africa’s LGBTIQ+ community, the Beefcakes chain—famous for combining burgers, hunks, and drag performances—is closing its doors for good.

News that the three remaining branches in Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Pretoria have either closed or are in the process of doing so began circulating on social media over the weekend.

Co-owner Roberto Del Gallo confirmed the news to MambaOnline. He explained that he and his husband Adolf purchased the chain in late 2019, just before the Covid-19 pandemic rocked the world. As we reported here, the restaurant struggled to fully recover from the devastating lockdowns and ongoing load-shedding that followed.

“The first few months before Covid were a breeze. The last four years were torture. Rental became a huge issue, with curfews in place, a limited number of people, the ban on alcohol, and almost two years of not trading,” said Del Gallo.

“One landlord wrote everything off, but the other two gave little to no discount,” he added. With debt mounting, the owners felt they had no option but to close the venues.

“Trade has also not been good last year and this year. Inflation, interest rates, and so on played a huge role. People don’t have disposable income, and those who do are saving their money. The last place they spend it is on entertainment. We just can’t carry on like this.”

Beefcakes was opened by founder Grant Eglin in Cape Town in 2009. Based on an American diner-meets-1950s-“beefcake” boys concept, the restaurant became one of the city’s most prominent queer hotspots.

Drag performers joined the often topless, muscled male waiters and bartenders as part of the Beefcakes experience, with cabaret-style shows entertaining diners as they ate. 

Branches were later opened in Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Bedfordview before Roberto and Adolf took over the chain in 2019. Much to the chagrin of some queer fans, the restaurant became a popular venue for a never-ending stream of bachelorette parties.

However, Del Gallo asserts that it was these parties that ultimately paid the bills and kept the venues’ lights on.

“We put our heart and soul into Beefcakes. There are a few people who have sour grapes, but those who really know us far outweigh them. We have literally turned over every stone we could to try to save Beefcakes,” he said.

Cape Town drag star Lilly Slaptsilli took to social media to address the news of the closure of Beekcakes, which has been an important performance space for South African drag artists.

She wrote, “So, as the curtain comes down and the stage lights dim, let’s all remember Beefcakes for the joy it brought to so many people. Thank you, guys, for providing a safe space and platform for Lilly to do her thang.”

Bernard Buys, who performed as Betty Bangles and was a resident at Beefcakes for seven years, said he was sad but not overly surprised by the closure. He added, “Let’s remember the good times we all had there! I will always cherish the good memories we made.”