The Sunday News
Sunday Life Reporter
FOR the past year, Maweni Sports Bar has served as a humble gathering place for friends and sports fans watching big games and having a drink.
The Plumtree staple was a frequent stop for Tawas Dlamini, who used to visit the bar to watch English Premier League games. When the owner of the premises decided to lease it out, the regular saw an opportunity to take over a place he already loved.
“When I found out it was available, I begged, borrowed and got enough to lease it and stock up. Maweni has always and still is a nice little share of local business because it’s a neighbourhood bar. (When I took over), I tried to go with the flow. I started small, kept adding on, adding on.”
A few months after taking on the business, Dlamini now has plans to expand his operations. He plans to increase the bar’s capacity ahead of the Christmas season.
“It’s still a sports bar theme, but with increased capacity and perhaps a few diners too,” Dlamini said.
The affable Maweni Sports Bar owner pointed to the comfortable atmosphere and the way customers are treated by his staff at his spot as the reason it has earned a strong reputation and following.
“It’s basically like ‘Cheers.’ One thing you could say there is not much change, so it’s a lot of the same clientele,” Dlamini said.
“I think we have a good catalogue of beverages that’s not ridiculously priced, and everybody gets to know each other.”
From the bar area with its open floor plan and stools to the ever popular pool table, there’s no bad seat at Maweni’ Sports Bar and the beer is always cold and fresh to boot.
“We have everything,” Dlamini said with a laugh.
During its tenure, Maweni has welcomed all sorts of recognisable sports figures, from retired footballers to die hard footie fans. And Dlamini is happy with his business thus far!
“People from Plumtree love my sports bar and have been very supportive since I opened the spot in March this year,” Dlamini added.
However, like every other bar owner Maweni’s major challenge is the erratic delivery of stocks and the ever increasing prices.
