Newlands cafe owner was ‘one in a million’
Newlands is mourning the loss of long-time shopowner Mushtaq Dawood Bhatkar who died earlier this month.
He ran The Avenue Cafe in Newlands Avenue with his brother, Abbas, for nearly 50 years.
He died on Sunday October 13 at the age of 72 due to heart failure, according to his son, Shabeer Dawood.
Mushtaq’s father, Ismail Dawood Bhatkar, who emigrated from India, founded the cafe in 1929, and Mushtaq and his brother started working there in their early 20s.
Mushtaq’s registered surname was Dawood, but he kept his father’s family name of Bhatkar as part of his surname.
Shabeer says his father was known by many names in the community: “Mr B”, “Mush” and “Mr Bhatkar”, and he had loved working in the shop.
“For him, it wasn’t work. He had a passion for it and thoroughly enjoyed the interactions he had with customers, some of whom he has known for many decades.”
While the the family were forced to move to Cravenby from their Newlands home under Apartheid in the mid-1970s, Mushtaq continued to work in The Avenue Cafe, says Shabeer.
In the mid-1990s, Mushtaq moved into a flat above the shop.
Shabeer says his father continued to play an active role in the business even in his final days, although his poor health prevented him from being in the store.
“He will always be remembered for his friendly demeanour, and simplistic approach to life. Even when we tried to convince him to retire, it was the furthest thing from his mind,” he says.
“It is amazing and heart-warming to see the impact my dad made on the community and all his customers.”
Kevin Lodge, of Newlands, says he knew Mushtaq for more than 30 years. “He was a wonderful man. Mush was one in a million. He was always positive and made everyone around him feel special,” he says.
Newlands/Claremont Heritage, Environmental Justice and Restitution Society committee member Richard Buttress adds: “From a young age, I got to know Mushtaq and his brothers. Even during those years, growing up they were involved with the shop... He and his brothers really understood customers.”
