Pirates Pizza is a student-run business started by Geoff Waugh, Daniel Hocutt, Karim Dhanani and Chris Marshall. They were all students studying at Rhodes, and some are currently finishing their degrees here. As the boys themselves put it on their website :
“The enterprise was started in Dan’s bedroom in Cullen Bowles res, it quickly grew to the point where the university waved its big finger at us and demanded that we cease and desist any and all mind-blowing pizza making operations on university property, which we completely understood, as they of course we’re just jealous because they didn’t know our secret recipe… Erm and we were breaking every rule they had written about residences and businesses on campus.”
After Rhodes forbid Dan to continue making and selling pizza in their bedroom, they moved their enterprise to a small venue next to Maxwell’s restaurant in Somerset Street. To raise the capital to sub-lease this property Geoff sold his old Mercedes, Dan sold cows that their family owned and Chris “begged, borrowed and stole,” which in Pirates terms means he loaned some money. Karim joined the team as a partner, and the new Pirates was opened.
Since they opened in 2007 Pirates has been a hit amongst Rhodes students. As their fan page on Facebook dictates they are a:
“Student run, owned and consumed boot leg pizza venue. Always hard to draw the line between the crew and the customers as they generally are the same bunch…pretty ‘ridiculously good looking people in it that know how to have a good time and make pizza, open till 3:30am on the big nights.”
Their cheap pizza and lively atmosphere have drawn in a great deal of customers and created some avid Pirates Pizza fans. In fact, they have done so well that they are expanding to a larger premises in African street in May 2009.
This venue will not only sell pizza but operate as a fully functioning, hip and happening new party spot for Rhodes students. The owners have been notoriously secretive about developments happening in the club in order to keep it a surprise for opening day. But stripper poles on the bar and a “fun police” have been promised.
Initially Pirates only employed students, but with their expansion more employees from the greater Grahamstown community are joining the crew.
