Vernon’s love for coffee puts bread on his table
Vernon de Klerk took notes from his former manager to venture into business after being retrenched from work.
It is rare to find people walking around without a cup of coffee with a smell so good that is difficult to resist opening your wallet in this Januworry. This is what Vernon De Klerk loves to see – customers walking away from his coffee cart on Campbell Road with broad smiles as they go about their day in Fourways.
The 31-year-old had to quickly think of another means to make an income after he got retrenched from his work as a bartender during the pandemic. He said it was not easy at all but as a guy who has always been hands-on, he knew who to call in his difficult phase before he started his coffee business.
“I tried my hand at many different things after completing high school. I found a job at a restaurant. I initially started working in the kitchen with a basic cleaning job and my employer saw potential in me and quickly promoted me to work in different areas. I enjoyed the bar mostly and making coffee.”
“My coffee business started during the Covid-19 pandemic when I was laid off from the restaurant where I was employed. I called my former boss telling him about my ordeal of struggling to make ends meet.”
This turned out to be the decision I ever made. “I always maintained a good relationship with my former manager, so he returned my call and shared the idea of a mobile coffee stand with me. I was thrilled because I am a seasoned barista and enjoyed interacting with customers quite a bit. The problem was that we needed to either purchase a ready-made mobile coffee unit or build one ourselves. We opted to build one. This took an incredible amount of time and effort but after a few months we completed the work.”
It has all paid off and now people in his community get to enjoy a fabulous cup of coffee. He said he chose to position himself on Cambell Road because he loved how he was received by the community when he first moved there from West Rand.
“The early morning runners, cyclists, and walkers seem to bond very well. We officially launched in July 2021 and the support has been great from the entire community and daily visitors to the area. Crawford School and parents especially need a mention. I am very grateful for this, and I make sure the area is always clean. On my busy days which are mostly mornings, I serve drinks to our customers and gladly take drinks to the vehicles when I can. I feel good when I get a honk from cars as they pass by. We offer a wide variety of hot and cold beverages and are hoping to sell fresh croissants soon. I love coffee, I’m passionate about customer service and I hope to grow in this business as an entrepreneur and, in future, employ others.”
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