A New Look for the New Year

The Hobbs family at The Cup&Mug would like to wish you all a very happy, peaceful and fruitful 2018.

As many people do at this time of the year when the previous year has screeched to a halt and there is a moment of time to pause and reflect, we too have been thinking about the future and hatching plans to help us to grow and develop as a business and personally.

Over the course of the year we’ll gradually be implementing significant changes. Most obviously and immediately, we are no longer selling any food or drinks: just lots of pottery (we hope).

This is unbelievable, we know.  In fact, we emailed the health department at the council to say we wouldn’t be renewing our permit and they obviously couldn’t believe it either – they rang just before Christmas and the conversation went something like this:

Heather: “Hi, Heather speaking.”

Council officer: “This is Joe Blogs from the City of Boroondara health department. I’m ringing about
your change of food premises status. You want to change your status?”

H: “No, we’re not renewing our permit. We’re not selling food or drink anymore, just pottery.”

C. O. “Coffee’s considered to be food. You’ll still need a permit.”

H: “No, we’re not selling coffee either - just  pottery.”

C.O. “Oh, pottery. I thought you said coffee. We’ll cancel that then and someone will drop in to
         physically check that is the case next year.”

Yes, not selling coffee, that is definitely unbelievable and so un-Melbourne. We’ll probably be reported to the relevant thought-police and have our reputations besmirched forever.

Seriously, we are sad about it because it was fun and we enjoyed being able to give customers cake and coffee and a quiet moment to sit while they gathered their thoughts. And scone days will be sorely missed - Heather does love making and serving scones and fresh homemade jam. Of course we had to force ourselves to do considerable taste-testing for quality assurance purposes. However, in terms of business it was not money or time well spent on shopping, cooking, cleaning, maintaining records and equipment etc.

Taking this step has enabled us to do a physical rearrangement of the store.  Removing the café tables and chairs has allowed us to use more of our space to display pottery.  We hope those of you who live close enough will be able to pop in soon to see the new look. 
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