Iconic Pink Church to Open Doors to Coffee, Food and Art Lovers in Melville

Photo Credit: Supplied

Melville’s beloved pink lady is about to turn a new leaf as Jozi’s first church-turned-café, with food, art and a community as colourful as its walls.

Melville, Johannesburg (22 August 2025) – You can’t miss the little pink church on the corner of Chatou Road in Melville and Richmond. For more than a century, it’s been a steady landmark. A splash of pink against leafy trees and red-tiled rooftops. A building that’s been everything from a Methodist church to a synagogue, an architect’s office to a print studio.

Locals still slow down as they pass. Especially one local, Yanni Briel, who, after years of passing the iconic landmark on his daily commute, is bringing a daydream to life.

A bit of history, and how Die Pienk Kerk got its name…

Built in 1903 as the Auckland Park Wesleyan Church, this little building later became a synagogue, then a home for the Old Apostolic Church of Africa, and finally, after a run as an office and print studio, somewhat of a curiosity in the neighbourhood, waiting for its next chapter.

For Briel, it was love at first sight.

“Every day, for the past five years, I have driven past that little pink church. Every day, I’d think to myself ‘I’m going to bring you to life again…’”

After decades in the restaurant industry, Briel decided it was time. He made the calls, had the meetings, signed the papers, and started the process of giving the historic building new life, this time as a café and restaurant. The first of its kind in Jozi.

But what would he call it? The answer was right in front of him all along.

“Everyone in Melville calls it Die Pienk Kerk,” he says, laughing. “Why try to reinvent the wheel? I just listened to what people already call this place. The name stuck and it felt right.”

Die Pienk Kerk is made for locals, with love, by locals.

Wanderers, and anyone who likes their morning coffee with a side of character. Cyclists will find secure bike parking (Yanni’s got a soft spot for the cycling crowd), while the revamped garden will bloom with bougainvillaea over outdoor seating. Take breakfast there, or inside where the pews once were. Later, head to the basement and get lost in art.

That’s the special thing. It’s not only a place to eat and dash. The space will house exhibitions, the first of its kind curated by Derek Smith, Karoo Gothic, which is set to grace the walls soon after Die Pienk Kerk’s opening, fitting in with Melville’s famously artsy scene.

There’s a gift and lifestyle shop, too, where guests can browse French décor and thoughtful gifts after a cappuccino.

“I want Die Pienk Kerk to feel as welcoming as a friend’s living room. Somewhere people come back to, again and again. It’s all about seeing others enjoy the space, the food, and each other’s company. I’m not serving customers, I’m serving friends.”

The charm of the church is still preserved.

The heritage building’s pink facade and even the odd fountain by the entrance are there to stay. Yanni’s added his own flair indoors with liquorice-black walls, life-sized paper-mâché geese soaring across the ceiling, and parquet floors in the gallery. Sunlight will pour in through the church’s signature arched windows.

The transformation has been careful and loving, keeping the building’s class and character while giving it the new start it deserves.

Die Pienk Kerk will soft launch on Saturday, 13 September, with its grand ‘red carpet’ opening on 11 October. Yanni’s keeping the menu under wraps for now, but he promises it’ll be something Melville hasn’t tasted yet.