Since opening just over six weeks ago, Molweni Coffee has offered the residents of Oranje-Kloof an on-the-go coffee experience like no other. This week, we visited Molweni to find out a little more about the new spot and meet Monde – the man behind it all.
- When was your business established?
Originally, we had aimed to open our doors to the public at the beginning of December 2020, however, when lockdown hit, we decided to delay our launch and shift our attention to our marketing and overall strategy.
- What makes your business unique?
I feel that Molweni Coffee is very unique, as we offer a drive-through coffee shop experience where our customers can order their morning coffee from their cars in the little street that runs in front of our container, and we’re happy to run their orders out to them.
Molweni is based on a foundation of community and collaboration. I’m lucky to have a good group of friends who have helped me along each step of the way. In the developing stages, I was very open to each of my friends’ opinions and ideas and actually asked them to point out elements of the business that they didn’t agree with for me to relook at.
- What do you enjoy about running your business in the Oranje-Kloof area?
I enjoy working in the Oranje-Kloof area because it provides me with an opportunity to introduce a bit of a Khayelitsha flair to the City Bowl. We’ve already managed to build a small base of regular customers, who we’re grateful for, as they’ve kick-started our vision of building a sense of community around our brand.
- Have you felt that the area is clean and safe, thanks to the presence of the OKCID?
Yes, I often see the patrollers driving through the area or the cleaners sweeping the streets. I think they’re making a great impact on the area.
- How has this pandemic affected your business?
Since we only aimed to launch our business at the end of 2020, we’re lucky to have dodged the hardships that we would have experienced if we had opened at the beginning of 2020. So, we were fortunate that the only impact that the pandemic had on our business was delaying our launch by a few months. However, I still feel that we took a big risk opening up when we did, as everything was quite uncertain. But I’m glad that we took the leap – navigating the unpredictability of the last few weeks has taught us a lot.
- What advice would you give to other new businesses owners?
I think that the best advice I can offer new business owners is to maintain sight of your brand’s purpose and vision, and to keep your long-term and short-term goals front-of-mind. Then I would say, when times get tough, just remind yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing and keep your head up.
We highly recommend that you pop past Molweni’s vibrant red and orange container, on the corner of Orange and Dorman Street, for your morning cuppa en route to the office. In the meantime, you can visit their website to learn more about them here.