Charlie Fiore, Fiore's Bakery & Cafe
John Grasso, Cellar 47
Inkeka Rowe, Little Gourmet
Kris Bech-Howley, Milestone Cafe
Dino Lee, Milestone Cafe
Chris Reisner, Butter Factory Cafe
The Editor,
We implore Greater Shepparton City Council to reconsider the SAM Cafe proposal.
The new Shepparton Art Museum is a positive and welcome project for Greater Shepparton. It does need a cafe and the ability to host and cater for functions in-house, but not at any cost.
Hospitality is a competitive industry and good operators don’t fear competition.
Any number of local hospitality operators would have loved to have been involved with SAM but difficulties with finding staff and the impact financially of the pandemic meant the timing was wrong for any one business to take it on alone.
Council was fully aware of this when it determined to press ahead with launching cafe and operating it temporarily for up to 12 months.
The recruitment of staff at inflated wage rates unaffordable to existing businesses ensures SAM will get staff, in all likelihood other businesses will suffer the consequences.
The best hospitality workers are employed already and the pay, stability and backing of council for this venture will attract existing workers to the detriment of hospitality businesses. To suggest otherwise is fanciful.
Council should not be competing commercially for customers or staff with businesses in Greater Shepparton.
Even temporary operation at this level will embed costs and inefficiencies that would make the business unpalatable to any sensible commercial operator.
This proposal must be abandoned.
Council should instead use SAM to direct customers to hospitality businesses who are already struggling due to the pandemic until the COVID-19 situation eases.
35°C