Coffee with Caroline has a ring to it, but more importantly, it is also a catch-up that I look forward to at least once a month. Our caffeine-fuelled conversations will range from books, pets, wildlife, our children, property, and an array of other topics.
Caroline Franks is a staple fixture in the Benoni community, having worked as an estate agent with Pam Golding Properties for over 21 years now.
Caroline not only ‘works’ her beloved Rynfield, she ‘lives’ it too! As a Rynfield resident and estate agent, she is absolutely the go-to person for recommendations on the best pizza, doctor, dry cleaner, plumber and, of course, coffee shop. Our most recent catch-up took place in the heart of Rynfield at Yummy Bean Café. I grabbed a strong flat-white, and Caroline had her customary cappuccino, her order of choice wherever she goes.
Our meeting kicked off with Caroline exclaiming, “Have you seen the bunnies at the Bunny Park?” – rumour has it they may be making a return; you need to have lived in Benoni for a few years to understand exactly why bunnies at the Bunny Park are a big deal. We then discussed how the population of bunnies are growing at various locations around town; Benoni Northerns and Echt coffee shop being two prime locations for our little furry hoppers.
Despite being an estate agent and loving it, Caroline has a degree in Agriculture and a love of animals, highlighted by her contributions to the Murphy Cat Project and TAG. However, for her, charity begins at home. Caroline wishes to keep her most important projects private; the best way to deliver help is not to publicise it, she notes.
Caroline’s Rynfield home has several four-legged residents, from a selection of animals to her cats and dog. “My pets help make my home, home” – and turning homes into memories is something she is very passionate about – “I love nothing more than introducing a family to the right property and watching it become their home, fulfil their dreams and make memories in the space.”
She agrees with me that coffee shops are our new ‘clubhouses’, the melting pot of every community and where the most point-of-contact interactions are initiated. Coffee is most definitely the firestarter for many of the most meaningful conversations. Caroline is spoilt for choice in her Rynfield, with an array of options for that next buyer or seller to grab a cuppa and discuss their property needs.
