Read more
Greenhouse Sandton announces temporary closure
As Greenhouse Sandton temporarily shuts its doors, authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of Saturday night's fire.
Greenhouse restaurant in Sandton | Picture: greenhousejhb.co.za
Greenhouse Sandton has announced that their restaurant will be temporarily closed after the establishment caught fire on Saturday evening.
According to a statement issued by Greenhouse Sandton management, the damage to the premises was “mostly superficial” and promised patrons that they would be “up and running” soon.
There were also no injuries or fatalities reported as management said the restaurant’s “open indoor/outdoor design” allowed them to evacuate patrons and staff quickly and safely.
The cause of the fire is reportedly being investigated by authorities.
Speaking to Jacaranda FM News, Johannesburg emergency services spokesperson Nana Radebe said: “We received a structural call at Sandton, on arrival we found that the fire was already extinguished, fortunately, there were no injuries or fatalities reported. We did not do any fire investigations because we did not render any service.”
Greenhouse Sandton initially issued an emergency notice via social media after their restaurant went up in flames.
A video of the fire at Greenhouse Sandton posted on Twitter on Saturday evening showed some patrons of the establishment filming the fire on their phones while others fled for safety.
Another video showed people congregating in the parking lot as the fire raged on.
In their initial statement, the restaurant owners thanked the emergency services that helped quiet the flames.
“We would like to inform everyone that there has been an unfortunate event tonight at the Greenhouse and that everyone is safe and ok. We would like to thank the heroes and emergency services who helped us tonight,” read the caption under an Instagram image containing the same message.
According to Aspire Lifestyle, the establishment first opened in late 2019 and it was initially located in the area’s Oxford Parks development.
A 2020 article by Times Live listed the venture as a partnership between Heinz Rynners, Brad Cilliers and chef Thomas Hughes.
Both Cilliers and Hughes have experience with other establishments such as Babylon Bar in Illovo, Jacqueline’s Night Club in Pretoria, Perron and Winner Winner. For Hughes, Greenhouse Sandton is his ninth business in this arena. The late Chris Coutroulis of the Taboo Group was also listed among those invested in this eatery.
Greenhouse became known for its unique aesthetic which brought the outdoors inside through lush, green interiors and roof decor that made it feel as though you were dining under the foliage of a greenhouse.
Their Rosebank location became such a success that they had to move to Sandton’s 24 Central precinct alongside establishments like Taboo Nightclub, the recently launched Monarch supper club and Solo restaurant.
The eatery recently hosted the cast of The Wife on Showmax for a viewing party ahead of the launch of season two of the show. Musical act Goodluck was booked to perform on Saturday afternoon (the day of the fire).
Despite a video showing lit up pyrotechnics equipment aimed at the over-head artificial plants, it is unclear at this stage what caused the fire or just how much damage has been caused.
The Citizen reached out to the owners of Greenhouse Sandton as well as the first responders on the scene for comment and have not yet received any feedback.
