The Greater Tygerberg Partnership (GTP) officially opened the GTP Express, a new express coffee bar and information kiosk in the Bellville CBD, on Friday 31 August. Located at the end of Teddington Walkway, the GTP Express was expressly designed as a place for people in the CBD to meet and greet colleagues and friends and get some work done. Wifi is also accessible in the kiosk and a concierge is on hand to answer questions that people may have about Bellville or surrounds.
While the venue has been open since July, Warren Hewitt, GTP CEO, welcomed a small group of GTP partners and supporters to an event on Friday morning, to mark the official opening of the GTP Express.
“One of our three main goals is to create a connected community in Bellville, not only through virtual connections, but also to create opportunities for physical connection, too. The GTP Express was conceived to do just that, in a friendly, welcoming environment. This is the first of what we hope will be several similar venues dotted around Bellville in the future,” said Hewitt.
Cutting the ribbon to formally mark the opening, Mayoral Committee Member for Finance at the City of Cape Town, Johan van der Merwe said: “Bellville has been earmarked as a priority development area in the Cape Town Metropole. We’re delighted to see the progress that the GTP is making in supporting our vision for the area. The City of Cape Town relies on its partners to deliver on its development vision. With the help of the GTP and other partners like the Voortrekker Road Corridor Improvement District, and we hope that conversations at places like the GTP Express will help to strengthen those existing partnerships – and spark new ones with others who share our vision.”
The kiosk was refurbished from derelict condition after it fell into disrepair and its previous tenant — a much-loved flower seller — moved out. Its revival as a place for connection and for people to find information about Bellville is one part of the GTP’s focus on building a more connected, inclusive community in the commercial centre.
The GTP Express is open from 7.30am to 3.00pm every day, from Monday to Friday, and also on the first Saturday of every month, when the Bellville Market takes place in the same area. Coffee lovers can buy freshly brewed coffee from R10, as well as muffins and croissants and other delicious treats.
