Safari Cafe is a fresh, new mobile cafe and it is definitely making a colourful statement in Crayford with its variety of delicious African styled beverages including coffees, slush puppies, smoothies and other treats, travelling not only around Crayford but in other areas as well, to give everyone a taste of the African culture and getting them through those busy working days.
Safari Cafe is a family owned business that operates in making all customers feel special, impacting every community and above all stands firmly by its motto of ‘Made with Love’. So as a community we should give some love back and support all local businesses within the area, no matter how big or small. We all need to remember that starting a business is not easy, it requires hard work, dedication, patience and so much more and as the customer, the best thing we can do is provide communal support and appreciate the products on offer to us. The little gestures such as saying hello, please or thank you, make all the difference and even looking out for your local businesses, checking in with the owner(s), reporting suspicious behaviour near the business, all of which are ways of bringing the community together.
I interviewed Mr Samuel Chege, owner of Safari Cafe to get a better perspective of how a local business works:
How was the process of starting up your business, what did you have to do to get it up and running?
The first thought was when I took my daughter to the Dell playground and I looked around and I fancied an ice cream and there wasn’t an ice cream van there and I thought why can’t I do it. So that’s where it kind of started but as the process went ahead I thought ice creams are just for summer but I don’t want the van to be just sitting around over the winter, so that’s where the idea of coffee came in, it meant that even though it might not be as busy as the summer but the business is still ticking along.
What challenges have you faced so far within the local area?
Safari cafe is a big statement in Crayford, which is not as mixed in terms of diversity as one would expect. So having something with animals on it and saying SAFARI in giant copy is a big statement and there has been some resistance from one or two locals who have gone and complained but most of the locals have been really supportive.
Have the local residents been supportive of your business?
I joined the local gossip Facebook page in order to promote the business and we were really well received. Many commented about their experience with safari cafe others commented on how they were treated and the owner saying good morning to them.
Have you had to report any incidents in regards to your business and who did you report them to?
I had an incident with one of the leaders of the community who had not been made aware that I been given permission to set up and run outside Crayford station and they came in quite an abrupt manner which wasn’t very nice to experience but none the less I was able to diffuse the situation and get the people who gave me the permission in the first place involved to deal with it. In terms of some of the resistance I have had, a young girl came to me and said “How long are you planning on being here? And do you even get customers” and initially I thought she was just being supportive but then when I asked her what she meant by that, she came back and said, “I don’t like the whole thing and I expect to see it somewhere like in Lewisham, not in Crayford”. Those are the kind of things you have to expect.
There was another incident when somebody went and complained to the train station managers saying why is that van allowed out there but otherwise, I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience of engaging with my new customers and the community and I am grateful for their great support. I am aware that these kinds of people, do exist but I have been able to easily diffuse these situations because I realised there is nothing they can do there and there is a lot of people in the area I want to try out the African style and the few bits I have.
What measures would you like to be taken if you continue to have any problems with your business? Would you want the local council to get involved or can you handle any situations yourself?
I have had a few young kids come over and try to cause havoc but I have CCTV and I know the area very well and the people in Crayford, so I could easily report them. Also because I have been quite nice to people around the community, people are looking out for the van, for example even my neighbours, if they hear any suspicious noises whilst I am in the van, they would come and knock and make sure it’s me that is there. So as well as there being negatives there have also been positives too, so I wouldn’t want to change a thing.
This is why it is so important to support start-up businesses in your local area because they bring the community together, something that we should all strive for and at Safari Cafe this all starts off with a cup of coffee so can imagine the impact we could all make if we became more invested in our local areas. Being a community means being a part of a bigger family and you should do anything to help your family. So let’s start now.
Go check out Safari cafe on its website http://www.safaricafe.co.uk or go on its Facebook page @www.safaricafe.co.uk so that you can also experience the best customer service.
