NIMBYs in the inner-inner-north of Melbourne have butted heads with popular Carlton North cafe Florian and complained to the council about patrons waiting outside for takeaway single origins and fancy toast with boiled egg.
Yarra City Council has received several complaints since November 2021 from residents of the two-storey Victorian terraces houses neighbouring the cafe on Rathdowne Street. The complaints lamented too many people were queuing outside their front gates.
Honestly how could anyone be so selfish to STAND and WAIT for a coffee on a public street. The gall. I’m sickened by this disgusting behaviour.
The lines of people waiting for takeaway had enraged the residents so much they have even threatened to take the venue owners to court. They claimed the cafe was trading beyond its boundaries because staff handed out coffees to people outside.
But the council on Friday made a new attempt to resolve the dispute by installing a bright red decal on the footpath in front of the property next door that reads: “FLORIAN EATERY CUSTOMERS PLEASE DO NOT STAND HERE”.
Of course it’s just a stern recommendation, though. The sign is not enforceable so no one can be fined for standing there. Obviously.
The juxtaposition of the cafe’s French country farmhouse cottagecore aesthetic, the neighbours’ lovely Victorian lattice balconies and the angry capital letters on the footpath is just … you can’t make this stuff up.
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But seriously let’s all spare a thought for the oppressed Carlton North residents who were traumatised by cafe patrons DRINKING WARM BEVERAGES and CHATTING near their homes. Some had attempted to tell patrons to move along. One resident claimed they simply gave up on working from home because of the CONSTANT CHATTER outside their house.
“I’ve lived in the inner city for 40 years. I’m entirely supportive of cafes and small traders in the area,” the anonymous resident told The Age.
“[But] I’m opposed to anybody serving people outside their premises. From my point of view, people should not be able to serve outside the perimeter of their licence.”
Indeed, how very dare they.
Maybe the decal will impact the popular cafe’s business, or maybe customers will just stand even harder now. We wait with bated breath.
