By Russell Bennett
A hills café that was left devastated by the coronavirus pandemic is now bouncing back with a fresh approach, following an outpouring of support from the local community.
New Zealand ex-pats Helen and Craig Moir run the Hairy Dog Café in Gembrook’s Main Street.
They poured their heart and soul into the venture since falling in love with the town on their travels around Australia.
But just over a year after opening its doors, the café was rocked to its core by the effects of Covid-19.
“We’d started to make our mark on the community, and it’s tough because you’ve always got to earn that trust as the new kid on the block,” Mrs Moir said.
“That’s always hard in any business as it’s starting out, but we had our regular, loyal clientele and everything was great.
“But then this thing (Covid-19) just about wiped us off the face of the earth.
“Then again, we’re still trading – that’s a real positive, because we know so many businesses that aren’t anymore. I know of some in this industry whose turnover is down $3500 per day.”
The Stage 3 restrictions currently in place have meant that Hairy Dog, and local hospitality businesses like it, can’t run their table service for the time being.
And for those restrictions there’s no definitive end in sight.
But it’s through their takeaway service that Mrs and Mr Moir have started to reinvent their business on the run.
“We’re in our own little pocket of the world up here in Gembrook, and we’re very lucky there, but we went from trading as normal one Sunday, to not being allowed to trade at all, to then being told we could trade until midday the next day,” Mrs Moir said.
“That’s when it felt like our business fell apart.”
That fateful day was less than a month ago.
“Our entire business model – what we do, and how we do it – had to change straight away, so that was very tough,” Mrs Moir explained.
“Pushing all the tables and chairs off to one side of the café was just devastating, and it took a little while to come to terms with what we’d lost from the business for now, but I think we had to so we could reinvent ourselves.”
Mrs Moir said the uncertainty has been the hardest part – initially about whether the café could even stay open, and then about whether its employees would be eligible for the Federal Government’s JobKeeper payment.
But through the darkness, Hairy Dog’s customers have been its shining light.
“And now I’ve got my mojo back,” Mrs Moir said.
A big part of the reason for that is the way the local community has taken to the café’s new takeaway options – including souvlakis and roast pork rolls.
“This wasn’t how I envisaged our business to be, so that part has been difficult – particularly how quickly we needed to change on the run – but our community has been so unbelievable in their support,” Mrs Moir said.
“The way they’ve spoken to me, and the love they’ve shown us, has had me in tears at stages.
“People are ordering two coffees when they really only want one, and some of them aren’t even redeeming their free coffees on their coffee cards.
“It’s just so touching.”
Mrs Moir said the community had to continue to band together, and she would openly encourage customers to visit Spencers Store further up the street for its vegan and vegetarian options, the Gembrook Bakery just across the road for its range of pies and fresh bread, and Forest Edge restaurant on Launching Place Road for its wood-fired pizzas and takeaway bargains.
“We wanted to make sure we did our own thing, and we all have to support each other,” she said.
“There are two things Gembrook didn’t have until recently – souvlakis, and roast pork rolls.
“On one day recently, we went through eight kilograms of souvlaki meat in an hour and a half.
“People are ringing up and pre-ordering them. It’s incredible the support they’re showing us.”
To order from the Hairy Dog Café, ring 0477 482 368.
