SCHOON RE-OPENS IN STELLENBOSCH
-2018 Update
At a delicious lunch by Bertus Basson where we broke Frtiz’ delicious bread, I was told that they would be “closing” and Boschendal would be taking over their proofing venture.
“all sorrows are less with bread, Especially Schoon’s sour dough”
Both sad and exciting, this is the future of Schoon:
After serving simple, fresh food to locals and tourists for the past seven years, Fritz and Chanelle Schoon from SCHOON are taking a break to plan an innovative space where they can nurture their creativity and produce quality food that improves the wellbeing of their customers.
They also want to focus on the new addition to their family, Heidi-Luna, who is soon to arrive.
Situated on the corner of Bird and Church Street, the popular restaurant was founded in 2010 when Fritz opened Oude Bank Bakkerij, an artisanal bakery on the same premises. This expanded to include an artisanal ice cream shop, a wine boutique and coffee roastery. It was renamed as SCHOON.
The eatery brought a vibrant atmosphere to the bottom of Church Street and created awareness of artisan products. Although Fritz and Chanelle started this journey with no experience in the hospitality industry, SCHOON soon became a firm favourite amongst Stellenbosch locals and visitors.
“With the restaurant, we aimed to transport our customers for a short time in their day. We wanted to create a space where they could connect with their loved ones and celebrate life or just find peace through the busyness of life. We wanted to invest in their health and wellbeing,” says Fritz. Once they realised their business model does not optimally achieve this anymore, they decided it is time for a change.
The building is now changing hands and becoming an exciting part of the Boschendal wine and food stable.
CEO Rob Lundie says, “We are looking forward to continuing the great business and hospitality that Fritz and Chanelle have built on a foundation of serving and selling naturally produced and artisan food. We certainly won’t be messing with a successful formula and patrons can expect to continue enjoying their favourite food and flavours at De Oudebank.”
Boschendal Farm Estate (Pty) Ltd has a long-standing relationship with SCHOON as their supplier of fresh vegetables.
The two companies found synergy in their approach and passion for sustainable agriculture.
The transition will take place over a period of five months. From 1 March, the Boschendal team will take over the management of SCHOON. By the end of July, there will be an official close and a rebrand.
SCHOON will continue to create delicious food from real ingredients. Fritz adds, “We love food, farming and production. It’s our calling and we have dedicated our lives to it.” On return after their hiatus, they plan to raise the bar and deliver more world-class quality products.
“Our customers have given purpose to our lives through their continuous support. They stuck with us through the good times and the challenging times. And there were plenty of both. We cannot thank them enough for this, from the bottom of our heart.” This formidable team is not saying goodbye. They are moving on to bigger and better things for SCHOON and its loyal customers.
We wish Fritz and Miss Fanny Chanel all the best in their future endeavors and will pop in for a croque madam, for nostalgic reasons!
