Katrine Anker-Nilssen chats to Dale Sandy of Crane Flower Coffee.
25-year-old coffee enthusiast Dale grew up in the Upper Highway area and went to Kearsney College before attending university in New York City at Wagner College on a tennis and academics scholarship, graduating with an advanced BSc in Biopsychology in 2019.
“Living in NYC for four years is where my passion for coffee bloomed. I would explore Manhattan or Brooklyn a couple times a week, each time discovering a different, trendy coffee spot. It became my favourite hobby there and ironically my tennis teammates used to always tease me saying ‘I don’t know why you even study. You should just open a coffee shop’,” laughs Dale.
Upon returning home Dale was fortunately met by a commercial coffee machine in his family’s house. “Robin, my dad, was the owner of the Piggly Wiggly in Kloof and had the machine they used refurbished to use at home. Soon enough the pandemic hit, and with so much free time during lockdown, I used a lot of it to teach myself how to make good coffees and hone my barista skills.”
“My plan for 2020 was to return to the US to coach tennis for the year, but with lockdown restrictions, it was not possible. The idea of starting Crane Flower Coffee arose from this abrupt change of plans. The empty storage garage at Robyndale Centre in Kloof was the perfect lockdown business project. I wanted to create a unique aesthetic and atmosphere with elements from the many cafes I experienced in NYC,” says Dale. “Myself, my dad, and one of his employees spent a few weeks building, renovating, and styling the coffee shop. It was so satisfying and fulfilling to see my ideas come to life through our own hands.”
Crane Flower is another name for the Strelitzia plant that most South Africans know and love. “I love that this plant is native to South Africa, is striking with bright colours and a unique shape, and has very positive symbolism including freedom, joy, and paradise. Given that I wanted to incorporate these traits into a coffee experience, Crane Flower Coffee seemed like a fitting name,” explains Dale.
It’s very important to Dale to be unique and offer interesting, innovative coffee experiences to customers. At the moment, Crane Flower is becoming well known for its novelty coffee options. “I make my own lavender, mint, and rose flavouring – which are used in floral cappuccinos and lattes. The taste is fresh and non-artificial, and the colourful latte art is often what customers love most. I also offer a deconstructed cappuccino, which is such an intriguing experience for coffee lovers. Additionally, I am on the journey of roasting coffee myself, and offer a variety of my roasted beans to try here at Crane Flower,” says Dale – who is constantly experimenting and trying new kind of beans and types of roasts, so customers almost always have new options to try.
CFC has a quaintly unique atmosphere that is so different to most coffee shops in the area. “The combination of the trendy and peaceful atmosphere with the novelty coffees is what I hope with make Crane Flower stand out,” smiles Dale.
“I’d love for Crane Flower Coffee to become a household name and local favourite in Upper Highway. The goal is for this ‘hidden gem’ to be a welcoming space where people know they can always have a coffee or experience that is as good as it looks,” says Dale – adding that sadly so many people drink sub-par coffee every day and do it mindlessly. “I aspire for Crane Flower Coffee to inspire customers to develop an appreciation for quality coffee and to maximize their enjoyment by becoming mindful while drinking coffee. At the end of the day, apart from being financially successful, this should be the ultimate goal for any specialty coffee shop.”