JASON LURIE The brains behind the spirit of moyo

In ten years moyo has grown from a small establishment in Norwood to six huge venues that seat around 4 000 people. Patrons come for the combined sensual experience of food, music and décor – which carefully distil the evocative essence of Africa. Founder Jason Lurie is emphatic. “moyo is not a restaurant. It’s an experience, a feeling, and that’s why people come back. It has a life of its own, and a soul and energy that wants to come out. It boldly gives the message that: ‘Africa can succeed because it’s Africa, not in spite of it.’” The very fi rst moyo started in Norwood in 1998, when Lurie lent a helping hand to a friend who inherited a small deli diner. It had just 120 seats “He wanted to change it and put up a few African masks. I’d always loved Africa and had a business manufacturing, importing and exporting African crafts and décor, so I got involved. I’d been a professional musician from the age of 15 and love food, so this opportunity brought the two together for me.” Born and bred in Johannesburg, Lurie has a degree in Economics, English and Philosophy and says he became an economist by default. He also owned a late night bar in Yeoville and says “sparks were already fl ying then for me about the hospitality industry, but I never wanted to be a restaurateur – and I am still not one, because moyo is a brand.” Lurie admits there was no real plan in
the beginning, but the exceptional customer response to the fi rst moyo offering enabled him to translate his vision into the strong brand moyo is today. “We plan more now, but we don’t grow and expand for the sake of it. When an opportunity presents itself, I take a look. If the space feels right and the fi nances are available, we do it. Then we are totally committed. But the space always leads the way and so each moyo looks and feels a little different. Now there are six establishments around the country, each one unique, each with a cult following of patrons who savour the rich textures, tastes and sounds of Africa. Lurie says the space at moyo Melrose Arch is incredibly unusual, because conventional wisdom says you can’t have a restaurant on more than one level - because people don’t want to climb stairs. “But moyo Melrose Arch is on fi ve levels and has the sort of space that felt like an adult Jungle Jim to me, a space where I could play. I also loved the bedrock there, and we fought to keep it in the building.” BUSINESS PROFILE Ironically, when Lurie tried to raise capital for moyo Melrose Arch, people told him it would be the biggest white elephant in Africa. “Everyone said it wouldn’t work, but I believed in the philosophy. From a business point of view, it just made complete sense to me because it’s near the highway and at a crossroads in the city. But it was mostly the energy and feeling that I loved.” On the Spier Wine Estate in the Cape Winelands, moyo Stellenbosch is 10 000m² of tented dining space that and seats 2 000 people in a garden setting. There are tree houses and gazebos that create an African wonderland under the starry night sky. It’s also a buffet and Jason jokes that it’s really just “a big braai”. Zoo Lake moyo is a rare and unusual heritage space that has always been open to everyone, but needed a ‘shake up’. We needed to shift the old stuckness, and it was just too big an opportunity to pass up. To me, it’s Johannesburg’s Central Park and I love the energy.” Durban moyo is also spectacular. It’s a 600-seater outlet boasting a beach bar, with a private pier where guests can enjoy a drink 150m into the ocean. “I love Durban,” says Lurie, “It’s our Rio, with a beautiful melting pot of cultures.” In Blouberg in the Western Cape, moyo has views of the mountains, sea and Robben Island, and moyo Fountains in Pretoria is on the country’s oldest game reserve – both will be open in time for Christmas 2009.
The menu is 70% consistent across the country and then 30% regional, so Blouberg will have more crayfi sh and Pretoria will have more game. “We try to be appropriate in the environment, but still with enough dishes that people know. Our inspiration comes from all over Africa and then we present it in a way that’s moyo - we don’t pretend to be as authentic as what your mamma made in Senegal. Coffee is also serious at moyo, which now has its own house blend, along with many others to choose from. Most evocative is a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony on request, along with all the fanfare that goes with it – roasting the beans, popcorn and burning incense.
Meaning ‘soul’ in the Malawian Chichewa language, moyo is also a Swahili word that embodies spirit, wind, air, essence. It’s all about that feeling, says Lurie.Music is one of the pillars of moyo. “It’s as important as the food and décor,” he says. There is live music daily at all the
moyo outlets and sometimes twice daily. It is excellent quality African world music, and a specialist in each region books the artists. It’s a huge operation and quite organic, because musicians are recommended – but high quality, lesser known artists are favoured. “Then what happens is that they become more well-known, outgrow us and fl y into the world.” An annual moyo compilation CD is also produced that features “interesting, new not run of the mill artists that people expect.” The fi fth such compilation is currently in production. Interestingly, moyo does not have a marketing department, an advertising company or a PR company - and they never run an ad. “But what we do have,”
says Lurie, “is more than a 1 000 staff, and they are our marketing department. So everyone at moyo is actually the marketing department; it’s a brand fundamental. We sat down in the beginning and defined the brand and what we wanted to achieve with it, and out of that came a lot of the philosophies that have influenced the operating structures. We are evangelical with our brand, and our responsibility is giving Africanists a reason to believe that Africa can succeed. We want them to come to moyo and find a home.” In every way, moyo speaks to the senses. The design is nostalgic and showcases natural materials and authentic craft – from artful lights and mosaic works to the organic oxide walls and hand pressed pebble patterns. Food is sophisticated African cuisine at its fi nest and showcases the very best the continent has to offer – Cape to Cairo. But before dining, your hands are washed in scented water, an ancient ritual with roots in Ethiopia.
And when the music starts, all senses are engaged. Of course the recession has affected moyo, as it has everyone. While they’re still very busy and there has been no impact on the numbers of customers, Lurie says people are defi nitely making different purchasing decisions. Food revenue is unchanged, but people are certainly cutting down on beverages. “Recession is a collective imagination and we are coming out of it now for sure. I think recessions will happen more frequently too. But people need to imagine themselves successful and believe Obama’s ‘yes we can’.” Lurie believes doing business in South Africa is relatively easy, because the systems work. He says it’s loose enough to be Africa and tight enough to attract appropriate investment. So moyo does hope to build into Africa ‘when there are appropriate partners who are African enough to have Africa at heart.’ But 2010 is fi rst and moyo has a dedicated team handling structures to accommodate World Cup patrons. A modest Lurie does acknowledge that moyo is a success, and he says he achieved this by simply deciding his truth and sticking to it - no matter how many people claimed it was impossible. “When you’re doing things that haven’t been done before, you have to gather your faith and stop being afraid. You have to go boldly and with courage and not stop when it gets tough. Greatness is inspired by hope and fearlessness, and it’s about being able to trust the feeling.” While moyo international is a strong
possibility, Lurie says South Africa is home and he is proud to live here. “It’s the birthplace of humanity. It’s the most vital place on the planet so it’s crucial for us to succeed because Africa gives energy to the whole globe. South Africa is a miracle. I can’t believe I live here. It’s an absolute blessing.”