#StartupStory: Cafe JCM is a blend of cars, coffee and culture

Thabo Nale, founder and MD at Cafe JCM

Can you tell us a bit about Cafe JCM?

Café JCM is a café situated in the heart of Johannesburg at a dealership known as Joburg City Motors. It is a Black-owned franchise offering superior coffee and varied dishes alongside the spectacular view of some of the world’s most luxurious cars.

When, how and why did you get started?

The café was established in January this year through a partnership with the Italian brand Tonino Lamborghini. The café was not only established as an extension of my love for business but also for the reason of delivering quality food to people within the perimeters of the area as the area itself does not contain many cafés.

What solutions do you aim to provide with Cafe JCM?

With The establishment of the café, I aim to minimise people operating in the area having to travel long distances just to get a good cup of coffee. The café is also registered on Uber Eats to make life even easier. Our sole prerogative is to deliver quality to you.

What are some of the obstacles you've had to overcome since starting out?

Some of the challenges we’ve faced include effective inventory management and menu pricing, more especially when the café was just starting out. Another challenge, we faced was business often being slow as a result of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the industry.

What advice would you give to other aspiring entrepreneurs?

Starting up something of your own is never easy, but with perseverance, the entrepreneurial journey is full of ups and downs. It can be very overwhelming at times, but when you implement perseverance and have passion for what you’re doing, there’s no limit to how far you can go.

What has been your proudest achievement thus far?

Our proudest achievement thus far has to be being able to put a smile on the faces of our customers. Most of our customers arrive early in the morning and therefore we know that it is our responsibility to set the tone for their day, not only through our food, but through quality service delivery and friendly interaction from our charismatic staff.

What does the future of entrepreneurship look like to you?

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, I was really excited about how the youth were starting to flood the sector. There was a shift in the sector as a result of the fresh, innovative ideas that were being turned into businesses. However, the coronavirus, I believe, has served as a demotivator to many people as it not only affected the industry but the livelihood of potential customers making it difficult to then implement any new business ventures.

With the coronavirus pandemic affecting small businesses, what approach are you taking?

Just like many other small businesses, we have experienced fewer customers coming in, but because of our partnership with Uber and our affordable prices, we have managed to stay afloat and thrive through the pandemic.

What would you like to see changed in the South African startup landscape?

I would like to see more opportunities for growth especially for the youth, more leeway from banks as well as more support from OEM’s.

What vision do you have for CafeJCM?

The main objective for the café is to branch out and even become recognised as an international brand one day.