On a warm night in Fort Greene, people often sit at tables outside a bustling restaurant on DeKalb Avenue, just down the street from the park. Inside, patrons sit at tables or the bar, sometimes just chatting, other times listening to music or a reading from an author.
For a decade, Madiba restaurant has been a cultural center for South Africans in the city. Mark and Jenny Henegan, co-owners and spouses, modeled Madiba after a South African shebeen, where locals gather to drink, socialize and talk about politics. As a native of South Africa, Mark Henegan wanted to bring a taste of his homeland’s culture to his adopted hometown.
Peaceful Feeling
“When I arrived in New York it was the first place I ever felt closest to world peace, where everyone lived together and walked together and ate together,” said Mark Henegan. “In New York you can be anybody you want. You can be connected with people.”
The Henegans opened the restaurant across the street from their apartment, using $10,000 in savings. The concept caught on, with the Henegans opening other branches in North Carolina and Florida.
The venture hasn’t been without its share of difficulties. In the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks, Madiba and other restaurants along DeKalb reported a downturn in business. More recently, the recession has hit DeKalb Avenue. Madiba’s profits are down 20%, according to Henegan.
The restaurant joined with other businesses in the DeKalb Merchants’ Association to cut costs through bulk purchases. The Association also shares a garbage service. Henegan said these moves have made up the difference from the fall in profits.
Community Spirit
That same type of community spirit is present at the restaurant, where locals mingle with a diverse group of South Africans and other patrons from around the city. That’s in stark contrast to the realities that Henegan experienced growing up in apartheid-era South Africa, or even in his travels throughout the American South.
“Traveling across the South, I found a lot racism, a lot of separation,” said Henegan. “Though it was not labeled as apartheid, I found very similar towns to where I was raised in South Africa, where there was a lot of segregation. New York for me was not even part of the United States. It was a different place altogether.”
