SA's top franchisee

Elana van Tonder, owner of the winning Dulcé Café Waterstone.

At a ceremony held at the Emperor's Palace, in Johannesburg, the owner of the winning Mediterranean-styled establishment, Elana van Tonder, was crowned the reigning queen of quality and service for the year. In August, her establishment was named as the franchise chain's top performer.

The triumphant franchisee, who had never before worked in the hospitality industry, cites her determination to succeed in a very competitive sector, her commitment to consistency, quality and service, as well as her hands-on approach to working with both her staff and customers, as the primary reason for her win of the prestigious award. Says Van Tonder, "In the beginning I didn't really think I stood a chance but when I was nominated as a finalist then I believed that we might just walk away with top honours. In my opinion, Dulcé Café Waterstone is, after all, the best coffee shop in Somerset West."

Van Tonder's franchisor, and managing director of the Dulcé Café group, Mike Pullen, says "When we decided to put one of our franchisees forward for this award, we immediately knew that our Waterstone store was our best hope of winning. We have immense faith in the owner and we are all very proud of her achievements."