Oh no! There goes Square 2.0

Ruth Masinge

If you asked anyone around Hatfield about the coolest Friday hangout spots with good music and drinks, Square 2.0 on the corner of Hilda and Prospect Street would definitely have been on the list a few months ago. This, however, has not been the case for the past two months, with the business occasionally closing its doors and now experiencing a slump in patrons. PDBY investigated the true nature of these circumstances.

Square 2.0 does not cater only for those looking for a strong drink, as the premises also house other businesses such as the Mono tuck shop and Mo Piiercings. Occasionally, Square 2.0 would not sell any alcohol, while these businesses remained operational. However, at times everything has been closed, with no business being conducted at all.

PDBY interviewed Joël Kitongwa, a Square 2.0 employee, about the current situation. When asked why there has been a slump in patrons, he replied, “We have been closed for almost two months, so there has been a loss in traffic.” According to Kitongwa, the reasons for the closure were personal issues and disagreements between the owners, as well as a “licensing issue”. When asked to clarify the nature of the licensing issue, Kitongwa said that their liquor licence had expired and they had to wait for a renewal. He asserted that the bar has not been selling alcohol for the past two months due to this expired licence. However, other businesses on the premises have been operating freely.

Regardless of the nature of the issues affecting Square 2.0, the impact is clear in their customer turnout for what were once popular Friday night events. Will this hangout ever go back to being the hot and happening spot, or is this the beginning of the end?