‘Digging his own grave’: Cafe’s boast backfires

The owner of a popular cafe chain took to Facebook to boast about the low price of his coffees. What he said next triggered a furious war of words.

The owner of a popular café chain has sparked a bitter war of words online after boasting about the low price of his coffees.

Abarai Mido, whose Sinamon franchise has four locations across Perth, took to a local community Facebook group last week to promote his business.

“Who else thinks that 12oz (large) coffee needs to stay at $5? #justsaying,” he wrote, sharing a photo of a Sinamon coffee.

But his post – which has since been deleted - rubbed one local the wrong way.

“I think our café owners need to earn enough to pay their staff and keep doors open. If that’s more than $5 then that is what it is,” they wrote.

Mr Mido hit back, writing that he paid his staff “plenty” and urging the critic to consider the “common day to day consumer”.

The owner of Perth’s popular ‘Sinamon’ cafe chain took to a community Facebook group to boast about the low price of his coffees. Picture: Facebook

In a follow-up comment, he shared a picture of a woman holding up a sign reading “greedy”.

That meme stoked instant outrage.

“This is why businesses should be very careful with how they post on social media. Not very professional,” wrote one.

“I don’t understand why you posted this as a business owner. Seems you’ve shot yourself in the foot with narky responses to people. Not a good look at all,” added another.

“I think you’re opening a can of worms by calling other cafes “greedy” for setting their prices higher than yours,” argued a third.

“By owning four venues your buying power is automatically higher than the average small business owner, making every single ingredient you use cheaper than theirs.”

In a fiery back and forth with a number of locals on the group, Mr Mido accused critics of being “business owners pretending to be customers” who were “triggered” by the price of his coffee.

“Look, if you are enjoying overpaying or overcharging for food and coffee that’s your choice and opinion and just go with it,” he wrote.

“But don’t tell me what I can/should/can’t/shouldn’t say – that’s not for you.”

His final rant sparked more backlash, with one social media user saying that his responses had turned them off ever visiting his cafes.

“As someone who loves supporting local businesses (and that included yours) this sort of thing makes me want to not buy from you again,” they wrote.

“Why do you think it’s okay to put other businesses down? What ever happened to supporting each other? There’s enough space for us all to coexist.”

Owner Abarai Mido shared a photo of one of his coffees, a receipt and the special blend his stores use. Picture: Facebook

“I didn’t say that”: Café owner hits back

Mr Mido took to the airwaves this week to defend his café’s reputation, insisting he never implied other store owners were “overcharging and getting greedy”.

“I didn’t actually say that,” he told Pete and Kymba on Perth’s Mix94.5 station.

“All I said in the post – which was kind of rhetorical – was 12oz should stay as $5. We are doing our (best) to fight inflation,” he continued.

He accused locals of “going out of their way to hurt” him with “condescending and passive aggressive” comments instead of engaging in “what should have been a constructive argument about cost of living.”

“We have feelings too, we sometimes want to respond and argue and make a point,” he added.

Mr Mido said Sinamon faced the same economic pressures as other cafes but was willing to “take a hit” to keep customers coming back.

“I’m doing a lot behind the scenes to keep the coffee at $5 – the same prices when we first opened,” he said.

“I know the moment you discourage people to go out and spend, it’s going to be a chain reaction.”

Some Perth locals took issue with his use of a meme that showed a woman holding a sign that read “greedy”. Picture: Facebook

Rant divides community online

A screenshot of the entire exchange was shared online last week, triggering a passionate debate about who was in the wrong.

One social media user defended Mr Mido, questioning whether he deserved the pile-on for posting a “relatively harmless picture about wanting to keep coffee prices low.”

“People are so thirsty for drama online that they feel the need to turn a post about a business promoting lower prices into a gotcha moment,” they wrote.

“People are so keen to get the pitchforks out and attempt to destroy some local business.”

Another said the entire argument was a “storm in a coffee cup.”

“Both sides are as bad as each other,” they wrote, adding they were “somewhat glad that there are business owners trying to keep coffees at $5”.

But others found it difficult to side with Mr Mido, accusing him of “digging his own grave.”

“Having managed social media in the political sphere before, I have zero understanding of how someone could react so passive aggressively on a post he’s made to plug his business,” wrote one.

“Like, I dealt with an incredible amount of trolls, but how the f*** does this guy simply continue digging his own grave, and for what benefit can he see in doing it?!”

Mr Mido owns four successful cafes across Perth. Picture: Facebook

$89,000 fine for failing to produce employment records

It’s not the first time Sinamon has found itself in the headlines.

The café’s owners were fined $89,000 by the Industrial Magistrates Court in 2023 for failing to comply with court orders to produce employment records.

In sentencing, the court described their offending as “conscious and deliberate”.

“Compliance with employment laws is not optional,” Private Sector Labour Relations Director Cara Breuder said.

“Employers are required to produce employment records to industrial inspectors on request. It’s an important safeguard to check that employees are being paid correctly.

“This was not a case of an employer making an innocent … The substantial penalty in this case reflects the seriousness of the offending over many months.”