Tavern Review

MEET THE PEOPLE OF SPOTONG Spotong talks to the tavern owners who are making a difference TAVERN REVIEWS How do you give back to the community? NHLANHLA’S PLACE Owner: Nhlanhla Moloi How do you handle difficult clients? I generally just talk calmly to them and We donate money to church, and also help with burial costs for poor people who can’t bury their families. We help them out with cooking equipment and transportation. get them to understand the situation they are putting me in. Luckily I have Wattsville, Benoni

How long have you been running your never had a situation spiral out of business? control. I also have cameras on site, just in case.

I have been running my business for eight years now from my home. Over the years I have managed to renovate the house to accommodate the business. I started selling a few cases a week and now I have a full catalogue of products on offer. We now have a full kitchen as well and sell food like pap and stews and fast foods.

Do you run your business alone?

I am the sole owner of the business, but I also have a manager, Desmond Moleko, who runs my business. My son is also hands on.

How do you keep business booming?

I sometimes host promotions for brands. We often bring in DJs and have real party nights for the patrons. The patrons enjoy this and it makes my stock sell quicker. Recently we launched one of Savannah’s new flavours, with artists and DJs. That was great.

What are your top-selling brands?

Gordon’s gin and J&B are my top selling brands. From the beers, it is Hansa and Castle Lite.

Nhlanhla’s Place

PIETERSBURG TAVERN

Owner: Miriam Mogafe

How long have you been running your business?

I started the business in 1997 with my husband. To start the business, we had to get a little financial assistance from the family. That debt has long been settled. I used to be very poor, but my life changed drastically when I got my business. I took all my children to good schools with the money I made from this business. My son is now a manager at Limpopo Treasury. I got a permit in 2003, and in 2006 SAB called me in, and gave me advice on how to run the business. I took the advice, and today I am still grateful to SAB for their support.

How do you handle difficult clients?

The police in our community are very supportive and helpful, so when I feel intimated by drunk patrons, I just call the police.

How do you give back to the community?

We often give money to help with the burials of the less fortunate in the community.

What are your top-selling brands?

My patrons are generally between the ages of 18 and 35. They buy SAB brands mostly, especially Flying Fish and Castle Larger. The ladies drink a lot of Amarula. As for ciders, I sell Hunter’s Dry mostly. When it comes to spirits, I sell Johnnie Walker Red and Three Ships.

What do you do to keep business booming?

I host a lot of promotions where I also invite music artists and DJs. We also sell great food like bunny chow, fast food and full meals.

What advice would you give to up-andcoming entrepreneurs?

Firstly, do everything legally and get all the necessary licences. Starting a liquor business is tough, but it really is a lucrative business. If you do it right, the benefits are great.

Tsakane, Benoni

ENSIMINI JAZZ LOUNGE

Owner: Martin Hlongwe

How long have you been running your business?

I started the business in 2007 after I left my job as a sales rep at Distell. When we first started, my patrons used to drink on the premises, but now we are strictly take away. The reason for this is we noticed that in our area, patrons enjoy drinking more at home, so we removed the option of sit-ins completely. Now and then I will allow people to bring-and-braai in the yard. I don’t sell any food, only alcohol. I also have a spaza shop on the premises for convenience products.

Do you run your business alone?

My business is family run. I work closest with my daughter Mami, who is also the heir to the business. I spend a lot of time with her to transfer skills and knowledge. She can basically run the business alone at this stage.

How do you handle difficult clients?

One just has to bite the bullet and face the challenge head on. It’s important to engage drunk patrons in a humane manner. I have never found myself in a situation I could not handle.

How do you give back to the community?

I sometimes give donations to the youth for transport money to go for job interviews in the city. I also enjoy donating to the community in general.

What are your top-selling brands?

Castle Lite 440ml, Hunter’s Dry and Gold 440ml and Heineken are my top sellers. My top-selling spirits are Jamesons and the Johnnie Walkers. Gordon’s and Smirnoff are my top-selling white

WHITEHOUSE LIFESTYLE TAVERN

Owner: Mxolisi Duma

How long have you been running your business?

I’ve been running this business since 2001. I called it Whitehouse because I wanted it to have its own identity separate from me. As a former convict, I wanted to give back to the community. I started by doing small jobs like cleaning up the dump areas in the community. The dump areas were making our neighbourhood smell and making people sickly. After seeing children playing with used condoms as balloons, I knew I had to help. I started my business small and it grew over the years. I then built a wall around my immediate neighbourhood for security. I also built a Salvation Army church which helps poor and dysfunctional children and community members.

How do you hire your staff?

There are no particular criteria I use. As long as a person needs a job, is from my community, passionate and disciplined.

Mr Mxolisi Duma

I am happy to hire them when I have vacancies available. I now employ nine people in total. I see it as empowering people who would otherwise be unemployable.

What drives you?

I like to help local schools with funding. For example, I helped to pay for an entire school to have a school trip to the zoo. Then I also help with burial costs for the less fortunate. Giving back to the community is a continuous thing, it doesn’t stop. I am now seen as a community leader, so I have a responsibility to my community to help. I am now looking into building a park for the children so they can have a place to play close to home.

Mr Martin Hlongwe & daughter Mami

spirits. I sell my most stock during stokvel month-end meetings.

What advice would you give to up-andcoming entrepreneurs?

Make sure you are passionate about whatever you want to do, get first-hand experience, and make sure you have startup funding.

Dawn Park, East Rand, Johannesburg

What are your top-selling brands?

My top-selling brands are the SAB beers, wine, Johnnie Walker Black, Gordon’s and Ciroc. But I must say Johnnie Walker Black outsells all other brands. I generally find my tavern attracts patrons with a little more disposable income.

What do you do to keep business booming?

I sell hot meals and host braais, as I want to accommodate patrons who don’t necessarily want to drink as well. I also have a car wash attached to the business, which also attracts patrons who are waiting for their cars to be washed.

What advice would you give to up-andcoming entrepreneurs?

Don’t look at a liquor establishment as being all about drinking. Consuming alcohol is not for getting drunk. Liquor trading is about building a place of socialising and enjoyment.

Meadowlands, Soweto

PINKY’S TAVERN

Owner: Bulelwa Mbutuma; Engcobo, Eastern Cape

How long have you been in business?

I’ve been running my business since 2002. However, I became a member of Club 10 in 2012.

What role has Club10 played in the success of your business?

Club 10 hosts a lot of promotions at my tavern. These help me to attract new patrons which is good for business. One promotion that stands out in my mind is when they came to promote Tovaritch Premium Vodka. I have had new clients ever since. Club10 has also put up new and exciting branding and signage for me, which also attracts more patrons. I am also hopeful that Club 10 will help strengthen our relationship with the alcohol distributors like SAB and Brandhouse.

Which are your top selling liquor brands?

Smirnoff Vodka 1818 sells more than anything else in my establishment. A close second is Hunter’s Gold followed by Savanna.

As a tavern owner how do you give back to the community?

I enjoy helping children in the community. Last year I bought school shoes for poor children and also sponsored the travel costs for one of the children who made it to provincial levels in athletics, so that he could compete.

Ms Bulelwa Mbutuma

EBUMNANDINI TAVERN Owner: Cynthia Ndlela; Matatiele, Eastern Cape

How long have you been in business?

I have been running my tavern for so long I rely on my daughter to keep the exact dates. It was around 2003. I now co-run my tavern full time with my daughter Thandeka who is more on the operations side. Club10 we only joined mid last year.

Which are your top selling liquor brands?

My top seller is Smirnoff Vodka 1818. Captain Morgan also sells extremely well. My top selling beer is Castle Larger. Funny enough, all my ciders sell equally, I can’t say that any cider sells more than the other.

What role has Club10 played in the success of your business?

I have to start with the branding they put up. They put fancy signage inside and outside the tavern. Great branding and signage really makes a positive difference for my business. I am looking forward to more promotions being held by Club10 at my establishment as I know this will also help increase sales, especially when they bring music artists.

As a tavern owner how do you give back to the community?

Donations are made to my community whenever I can. Regular donations are made to our local community Choir, the Dart club and our Youth League.

Ebumnandini Tavern

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Preferential pricing off ered on catering equipment – glasses, tables, chairs, etcAdvice on store development, layout and category management layout and category management

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