Rumours about the status of Grahamstown’s well-loved eateries, Maxwell’s and Cafe Blanca, have been circulating like wildfire. The news that the café and restaurant will be closing down has caused much speculation by townsfolk.
Rumours about the status of Grahamstown’s well-loved eateries, Maxwell’s and Cafe Blanca, have been circulating like wildfire. The news that the café and restaurant will be closing down has caused much speculation by townsfolk.
The truth is that Wendy Maxwell and her son, Chris Maxwell, who own and run both establishments, have decided to move on. After dedicating eight thoroughly enjoyable years of their lives to the endeavour, they have chosen to step back from the busy restaurant business and focus on being a family.
Enter Jan Strydom and Ursula van den Berg, proud owners of Pronto Driving School. The energetic couple, who are responsible for the swift rise to success of the year-old driving school, have been working closely with the Maxwell family team in implementing the change-over.
Jan and Ursula are insistent that the underlying ethos of the eateries will remain intact. The foundation of this ethos is that Café Blanca is a destination, not somewhere you end up. Safety and ethical management are also central to this business model.
On their decision to hand over the baton, Chris – who is the mastermind behind Café Blanca, which he manages to run while simultaneously completing a B.Sc at Rhodes – says that: “Every decision we have made thus far has been for the business, and right now, this is the best decision for the business”.
Café Blanca’s winning formula of a safe, relaxed semi-outdoor environment where people of all ages can enjoy a drink and a meal, already works wonders. That said, the new owners have some big ideas up their sleeves for the venue.
First, Café Blanca’s new name will be Wicked Cricket. A stage will be constructed to facilitate exciting entertainment events, such as comedy nights and talent shows. Strydom, who is a self-confessed publicity freak with a long history in show business, may even grace visitors with the odd performance.
Other attractions on the cards include spit braais and potjie evenings. After much deliberation, the incoming owners decided to rename Maxwell’s to The Grog & Grub. Anton van den Berg, a highly qualified chef, and brother of Ursula, will assume control of the Grog & Grub’s kitchen.
Ursula, who holds a diploma in Tourism Management and Marketing, previously worked with her brother, Anton, at a five-star lodge in Mpumalanga. They will now reunite to bring their expertise to Grahamstown and focus on providing scrumptious west-coast home-style cuisine at a reasonable price.
