A long-standing fixture of Monbulk’s Main Road, Friends on the Hill Cafe has been put up for sale, with strong interest already emerging from the community.
The cafe’s current owner, Brent Grogan, who has run the business for almost 15 years said the decision came at the close of a deeply personal and significant chapter, both for the business and for himself.
“I’ve been here for 14 years, and it will be 15 years this Mother’s Day,” Mr Grogan said.
“When I first came up here, I saw this place not just as a cafe, but as the heart and hub of a small town like Monbulk.”
Mr Grogan said he was drawn to the location despite having limited hospitality experience at the time, and that the cafe’s role as a community meeting place was what inspired him to take the leap.
“Main Street was much quieter back then,” he said.
“There were empty shops everywhere, and now it’s a thriving street, you look outside today and there are people walking up and down, it’s changed for the better, and it’s become a creative and vibrant community.”
Over the years, Mr Grogan said the most rewarding part of owning Friends on the Hill had been watching generations of locals grow up within its walls.
“I’ve watched kids come in as babies in their parents’ arms and grow into confident young adults,” he said.
“It’s not just one story, it’s hundreds like it, watching young families move into the area and seeing the whole dynamic of the town change has been incredibly special.”
He said the cafe’s survival and success had always depended on local support.
“We wouldn’t be here without the locals,” Mr Grogan said.
“We’re not a tourist town, Monday to Friday, we’re a working-class town, and that’s what’s kept us going for nearly 15 years, this cafe has been on this site for more than two decades under different owners, and it’s always been part of the fabric of the town.”
Mr Grogan said the decision to sell followed unforeseen personal circumstances and marked what he described as the final step in a difficult period of his life.
“It’s been pretty raw, to be honest,” he said.
“But it’s time for the cafe to move into its next chapter with new people, since putting the ads up earlier this afternoon (Tuesday, 20 January), the response has been overwhelming. People have been coming in, hugging me, crying, it really shows how much this place means to them.”
He said Monbulk offered enormous potential for a future owner.
“This place could be taken to the next level,” Mr Grogan said.
“It’s a very loyal, working-class town, people keep coming back, some customers have been here every Wednesday morning for 14 years – that says everything.”
Mr Grogan said his staff had been central to the business’s longevity.
“My staff are the reason we’re still here,” he said.
“I’ve had people stay six or eight years, which is very unusual in hospitality, from my manager to my dishwasher, they’ve always looked after me.”
Reflecting on how he hoped to be remembered, Mr Grogan said his focus was not on himself, but on the cafe’s legacy.
“I don’t want people to remember me,” he said.
“I want them to remember Friends on the Hill as the heart of the community.”
As he prepares to step away, Mr Grogan said his next chapter will involve travelling and seeing more of the country, something he feels ready to do after years of long hours.
“You’re dead a long time, it’s time to live a little,” he said.
“I just want to thank everyone for putting up with me and for supporting this place for so long, it’s been a fun ride.”
