People's Post Maitland | Woodstock - 11 August 2020

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WOODSTOCK | MAITLAND on your doorstep every

TUESDAY

TUESDAY 11 August 2020 | Tel: 021 910 6500 | Email: post@peoplespost.co.za | Website: www.peoplespost.co.za

@ThePeoplesPost

People’s Post

WOODSTOCK

Making a clean sweep KAYLYNNE BANTOM KAYLYNNE.BANTOM@MEDIA24.COM

W

hen lockdown kicked in more than four months ago, three young women from Walmer Estate, Woodstock, were left unemployed and needed to do something to earn a living. All three are bartenders and work in the restaurant sector. The country’s tourism and hospitality industry has been hard hit by the lockdown, leaving stakeholders in this sector in limbo. Cassandra Eichhoff (30), head instructor at the European Bartender School in Woodstock, says two months ago, whilst having a minor panic attack about how she was going to afford to pay rent and other expenses, she had an idea to start a car wash. Eichhoff says she shared her plan with two of her friends, Charne van Heerden (23) and Katlego Mnyathi (23), and they were eager to join. She says the idea is to apply their bartender skills while clients are having their cars washed. “We call ourselves The Cartenders because we do a car wash with a difference. This car wash is all about the bartenders applying their hospitality skills to car washing. We offer clients beverages on their arrival and because we have the space, people can sit and relax while they wait for their cars.” The Cartenders is run from the garage of a Walmer Estate home. Eichhoff says usually the house is used as accommodation for students from the European Bartender School, as most of their students are from abroad. She says currently all the students have returned to their home countries. Eichhoff says clients can find them on Facebook and choose from their four car wash options available. “A basic car wash package starts from R120 while the pet care package starts from R560.” Eichhoff says the experience of being unemployed has taught them to think more innovatively. “Our motto is ‘shake off the dirt’ and that’s what we are trying to achieve. Instead of looking at the negativity around us, we focus on finding solutions.” Eichhoff says business has been picking up and her brother Rigo has now joined too. “I think clients appreciate that we have cre-

These three out-of-work bartenders started a car wash service to generate an income. ated a space where they can come and work remotely, using our free WiFi or just relax while we tend to cars.” She says this is pretty much how things are at a bar, people sit and have their drink without anyone bothering them, the only difference here is, “when our clients leave, they

do so in a clean car”. “We even have crossword puzzles or activity pages with the different cocktail names or fun facts about cocktails on there.” Van Heerden says they are hoping to encourage others who are struggling, that they can do things for themselves and not wait for

PHOTO: KAYLYNNE BANTOM

things to get back to normal. “We want to tell especially young people to make something big out of something negative.” Eichhoff says they are planning on continuing the car wash when restaurants reopen and there are even discussions of expanding the business.


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