Durban restaurant Wish on Florida is closing its doors nearly two months after rapper Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes and his friend Tebello ‘Tibz’ Motsoane were shot dead outside the eatery.

Philani Benson Kweyama, the director of Wish on Florida, says they plan to permanently close their doors on April 10 – where they will be hosting ‘The Last Supper’.

Kweyama says this was not an easy decision.

He adds in light of the recent tragic event on their doorstep, they have experienced a severe downturn in business which leaves the directors with no other choice but to close the business permanently as the brand equity of Wish on Florida has been deeply hindered.

Wish on Florida was certainly a wish come true for two black entrepreneurs who dedicated the last three years to building a successful black-owned restaurant in the heart of Durban, winning the Emerging Tourism Entrepreneur Award at the Durban Tourism Business Awards in 2022.

“We would like to thank the city of Durban for the tremendous support in the last three years — catering to you and the rest of the country has been an absolute joy and your support will forever be engraved on Wish On Florida’s legacy,” says Kweyama.

He thanks the various brands and suppliers who have been part of the Wish on Florida family, and also their staff members who he says are the fabric that held Wish on Florida together.

He went on to invite the public to join them on their last trading week as they have an exciting line-up of activations from Friday leading up to ‘The Last Supper’ on Monday.