Creative coffee artist draws customers
WHEN Ntando Mphatiswa moved from Mthatha in the Eastern Cape to Cape Town four years ago, he did not know he would unlock a new creative talent in himself.
Now a restaurant waiter at Sandown Blues in Kleinmond, Mphatiswa, 26, keeps his customers happy through his artistic coffee work.
Mphatiswa said when he began experimenting with coffee art, he didn’t realise that it was something he could be good at.
“In 2018 I started practising how to make art in coffee. There was a well-known musician that passed away that same year, and I decided to draw his face in one of the coffees I had made at work that day. I posted the artwork on Twitter and Facebook, and that’s when I realised that many people liked the artwork I did,” he said.
“At the restaurant, my manager always wanted us to be different and taught us new skills every time we made cappuccinos so we could attract our customers. He would teach us how to draw hearts and flowers on the coffee. I saw that this made customers really happy and they always took pictures of the art.
“As time went I did research and decided to try out new artwork. I used to do this artwork at home and post it on social media.”
Sandown Blues restaurant manager David Pasivarir said he realised that Mphatiswa was enthusiastic about art and decided to let him showcase his talent.
“I met Ntando four years ago as he was working as a waiter and coffee maker. At the time he didn’t know how to make a cappuccino but there was something about him. He always used to watch YouTube videos on how to make artwork on coffee.
“He then started doing the art here at work and I realised that he was good at it. The amazing thing about his artwork is that he uses the froth that comes from the coffee to make the drawing.
“Customers are always impressed with his work. He is a talented young man with a bright future ahead of him,” said Pasivarir.