Coming clean about The Cart

I’ve been meaning to write this for some time on here.

It follows this mention for The Cart in the piece I did for Travelfish and assorted online activities on their behalf. It’s time to declare an interest.

The Cart was set up in March 2009 by my friend Martin and his business partner Loan.

Sadly, as regular readers of this blog will know, Martin died on Christmas Day just gone.

To cut a long story short, Martin’s business partner has become my girlfriend. We’ve supported each other in terms of our loss and I’ve done what I can to help her keep The Cart up and running. Partly because it was my old mate’s place, partly because she is now on her own and has wages to pay and finally because it has become my hang-out too.

It’s hard to describe the role I have there now. I think every expat/tourist aimed business needs a set of western taste buds around as well as a sounding board for ideas and customer service issues. I’ve certainly tried to do all that – even if it’s just eating pasties and mmmm-ing my approval.

It’s a hard life.

But, there’s another issue that she’s had to compete against. Firstly with no Martin that link to the expat community disappeared a little and I’ve tried to help maintain that. Secondly, Hanoi is littered with businesses which were set up by foreigners and then, when they left, people lined up to voice their disapproval …it’s not like it was when…

Doing what I do, my efforts haven’t really gone beyond the setting up of a very low tech website, a Twitter feed (with daily specials), and a Facebook group.

In short, I did the easy bit. Loan stepped up and started running the business on her own and has drafted in her two sisters who are doing a great job alongside the ever fabulous Miss Thuy.

At Tet, Loan will finally take some holiday, her first real time off since martin returned to Australia in October.

The current situation means that I spend an awful lot of my time there. It’s been heartening in particular so see so many of the regulars stick with the place. In particular I enjoy the chat between expats on the four chairs downstairs as well as the banter with the staff.

The other reason I wanted to help was the place has really got something. It has genuine potential and I’d like to see it grow. In particular there’s not many places that do a decent lunchtime sandwich delivery. There’s even fewer places that do nice cakes. And as you might imagine Cornish pasties are not often seen in these parts.

My involvement will only ever be on a friendship basis and that’s all I’d ever want it to be. But The Cart is looming large in my Hanoi life which continues to very very happy and increasingly busy.

Right. Anyway, I just wanted to put that straight.

See you at The Cart then.