Morale Coffee is situated on rolling farmland on the R44 between Wellington and Hermon — almost in the middle of nowhere, some may say — yet it has exploded in popularity to the point that few would opt to pass up an opportunity for their good Cup of Joe.
Moral Coffee originated in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, yet still managed to become a raging success.
The secret, according to Clayton Zharare (one of the baristas and a partner in the business) is simple: good coffee.
“You have to froth the milk in a specific way and flush (clean) the [coffee] machine regularly.”
“Another ‘must do’ is to use good-quality coffee beans,” Zharare said, and for this the Morale Coffee team travels no further than Riebeek-Kasteel where they buy their locally produced coffee.
“I think also why we [Morale Coffee] are so popular, is because we have a uniqueness about us.”
According to Zharare he believes the coffee spot affords an “African feeling” as visitors can sit on hay bales and enjoy the serenity of farm life while waking up on their way to work, rather than in a busy coffee shop with the noise of traffic in the background.
Zharare, originally from Zimbabwe, first worked as a trainer at Vida E Cafe’s head office.
However, after an irresistible offer by Wessel de Wet to initially run a coffee shop in Table View under the name “Morale Coffee to Go,” his new journey at Morale began.
But the Table View-based coffee shop struggled as Covid-19 crippled business owners, and so the Morale team decided to switch premises and opened along the R44 as De Wet lived close to Hermon.
“Now we sell between 150 and 180 coffees per day, and more than 200 over weekends,” Zharare said.
“We started with only coffees and muffins, but now we have other [confectionaries] as well as boerewors rolls every day and roosterkoeke on the weekends.”
“We are climbing the ladder every month,” Zharare said delightedly, who disclosed that the team still have some exciting plans up their sleeves.
This includes breakfast options as well as soups and sandwiches (to sit down or as take-away’s).
“We [Morale Coffee] have a few regulars, which include farmers or people who drive the road for work.
“We have our Monday regulars, Tuesday regulars, Wednesday regulars and so forth, and we know what they order, and sometimes make their coffee in time for when they get here,” Zharare said.
Other supporters include visitors to the area as well as cyclists or motorcyclists.
