Cafe grant delivers million-dollar smiles

A million-dollar grant for a Hobart cafe that helps people overcome barriers to a career in hospitality will transform lives for the better through on-the-job training, the government says.

Hamlet CEO Emily Briffa, Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Hamlet participant Jim Mackey at Hamlet Care in Hobart on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.

A million-dollar grant for a Hobart cafe that helps people overcome barriers to a career in hospitality will transform lives for the better through on-the-job training, the government says.

Hamlet Cafe will receive an additional $1m in this month’s Budget, Premier Jeremy Rockliff announced on Wednesday.

“Hamlet does an extraordinary job training people facing barriers to employment with a focus on those living with disability,” he said.

“From customer service to a career in cooking, trainees learn job-ready skills at Hamlet’s commercial kitchen and cafe.

“Our government strongly supports this work, previously investing in Hamlet’s commercial kitchen and supporting operations.

“There is a strong demand for hospitality staff across the state, and the training provided by Hamlet can play an important role in meeting ongoing demand.

Hamlet is a registered charity “that exists to empower people who are under-represented in the workforce, with a focus on people living with disability”.

Hamlet CEO Emily Briffa, Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Hamlet participant Jim Mackey at Hamlet Care in Hobart on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.

Jim Mackey says Hamlet is a great place to work and learn.

“It’s an awesome organisation. I started out doing the kitchen program, and then I went, moved to front of house,” he said.

“I suffered a stroke a while ago I’ve been coming to Hamlet for two years and those two years have been a meaningful part of my life.

“I was a tradesman for 10 years, so I definitely didn’t think of hospitality is an area that I would ever move into.”

CEO Emily Briffa said the money would help Hamlet deliver tailored training to people living with disabilities.

“It’s huge for an organisation like Hamlet, I think for organisations in the community services sector, especially small ones like ours, having certainty of funding is a bit of a game changer,” she said.

“You know, we’re a relatively small team, and when we are applying for grants or sort of doing the advocacy to get funding, year on year, it can take someone out of doing the work that we need to be doing day to day.

“So, yeah, it’s fantastic — it means that the next four years, we’ll really be able to focus on doing the work that we want to do.”

Originally published as Cafe grant delivers million-dollar smiles