Harris Coffee roasters is offering $1 million in relief funding to cafes following its survey findings
One of Australia’s leading coffee roasters is launching a $1 million relief fund for struggling cafes. But the number of businesses set to benefit from grants is limited.
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ONE of Australia’s leading coffee roasters has documented our fears that café culture will never be the same post-coronavirus — and they’re doing something about it in a big way with a $1 million relief fund.
Harris Coffee revealed on Tuesday that it had commissioned a survey of 1000 café devotees and small business owners, generating results that are broadly in line with what you would expect.
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A full 70 per cent reported that they considered cafes “the centre of the community’’ and were an even more important part of the social fabric than hairdressers or the Post Office.
It also found widespread fears among hospitality operators that they may not be able to tough it out even as lockdowns ease.
To address the threat, Harris announced what it called a “first-of-its-kind initiative” to help keep Australia’s cafés open and allow them to bounce back.
The scheme, dubbed the Harris Café Recovery Project, will allow café owners to apply for a grant from a dedicated $1 million fund set up by the company.
Harris boss David Ansell said that up to 25 café owners will get a slice of the stimulus.
“Between the bushfires and COVID-19, cafés across Australia have been hit hard in recent months,’’ he told us.
“We felt like we needed to do our bit to get cafes back on their feet and help keep doors open, returning them to being an integral part of their local area.
“We found that 80 per cent of small business owners in hospitality believe they won’t recover from recent hardships without support.”
In addition to financial aid, each successful café owner will receive free coffee, a free machine plus servicing and free takeaway cups for a year.
Harris will also provide technical support, barista training and up to $5000 in marketing assistance.
THIRD TIME LUCKY
It just might be third time lucky for Brisbane developer Don O’Rorke.
Yes, the Consolidated Properties boss is tying the knot for…you guessed it, the third time.
O’Rorke told us that he got down on bended knee on Monday night to propose to his girlfriend, Katie McMillan, a speech pathologist based in Cairns.
In a rather unusual twist, his seven kids were present and she agreed only after getting the green light from all of them. McMillan has two kids herself so cue up those Brady Bunch jokes!
The couple, who met on safari in Africa two years ago, appear to be masters of forward planning. They have pencilled in the wedding ceremony for May 2022 at O’Rorke’s acreage spread in Brookfield.