Baked by us cupcake store to depart Ryrie St shopfront
A Geelong disability support service that trains employees and volunteers to bake cupcakes is on the hunt for a new home that better suits the needs of its customer base.
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A Geelong disability support service that trains employees and volunteers to bake cupcakes is on the hunt for a new home that better suits the needs of its customer base.
After 12 months of negotiation talks with her landlord, Baked By Us co-founder and owner Jess Robinson opted against signing a $240,000 five-year lease because says believes the Ryrie St building lacks crucial accessibility features.
“I know a lot of people online just want to come get a cupcake that can’t bring their participants into the shop and that’s been a really big barrier,” Ms Robinson said.
“They say ‘we love what you are doing but we can’t come in and support you’ because there’s no ramps.”
She claims Baked By us has been told it has two weeks to vacate before it is kicked out.
However, a spokesperson from real estate agent Pavillion Property Group said the lease does not end until June 28.
“We feel it’s important to clarify that the lease does not end in two weeks, and at no point did the correspondence from our office was meant to imply that Ms Robinson would be locked out of the premesis [sic],” they said.
“We do sincerely hope Ms Robinson and Baked By Us find a new space suitable that supports their growth and the incredible work they do.”
Property Pavillion Group is not involved in lease negotiations, which are instead led and organised by the landlord and his legal team.
Bizarrely, the building’s property manager encouraged Ms Robinson to cut her losses and put pen to paper in an email last week.
“If you renew your lease you can then sell your business to another person. Without a lease you have no business to sell,” she said.
“I really think it is in your favour to renew your lease.”
Ms Robinson said the unsolicited advice was “ridiculous” and that a sale was not going to happen.
“We have no interest in selling the business or investing any more money into this property … it no longer serves us.”
“Why are you trying so hard to get money out of me?... We just want to make cupcakes and make people smile.”
The spokesperson said the employee was “simply trying to do her job under the instructions of the propert owner.”
Despite this, Ms Robinson is confident the business will thrive in a new location and has been spurred on by support from others.
“No matter where we go, people will follow us — I’m confident in the community I’ve built,” Ms Robinson said.
“It feels so good to know that people believe in me.”
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Originally published as Baked by us cupcake store to depart Ryrie St shopfront
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