PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - No, Enrico's has not been sold.
It's all a rumour, says owner Enrico Iacopini about his renowned Keurbooms restaurant, one of the country's top Italian restaurants. "It will be like selling my soul," he said.
A post on the property website 2oceansvibe claimed that Enrico's in Keurbooms was "reportedly sold".
Enrico said he has approached lawyers to find out what recourse he has against those who started the rumour.
He called it "irritating", especially as he could not think what the motivation behind the post could be, and said it has negative repercussions for him.
His son, Andrea, had joined him in the business two years ago, "but I'm always still around", said Enrico.
The 2oceansvibe post by "Heinrich" on Monday 12 January said: "In news that might blow some people away, Enrico's Restaurant, one of the Garden Route's most recognisable beachfront dining institutions, is understood to have been sold, according to multiple local sources familiar with the area".
No public confirmation
While it did say no official announcement has been made "and there is no public confirmation at the time of writing, it is widely believed that the property has been acquired by a neighbouring landowner".
The post said the reported intention, according to sources close to the matter, is to "expand an existing upmarket accommodation footprint along this prime blue stretch of the Keurbooms coastline, rather than to operate the site purely as a standalone restaurant in the long term".
"As is often the case with tightly held beachfront properties in Keurbooms, details appear to be closely guarded," the post read. It said that until "formal confirmation is made", the reported sale remains "informed local consensus" rather than a matter of public record.
2oceansvibe had not approached Enrico for his input on the rumours.
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