Corner store up for sale

A cute little corner café in George St, East Melbourne is up for sale but there’s no need to worry about the loss of a much-loved institution.

The building is for sale for $2.3 million but the George Street Café will keep trading, business owner Michael Cheng said.

He said the landlord, who lives next door, was moving and wanted to sell both properties.

The café had one of the earliest food permits in Melbourne when it first started up as a corner store in 1856, making it part of Melbourne’s culinary history.

Like many establishments in East Melbourne it has stayed connected to its history.

Where other early developments have folded, such as the first biscuit company that started in 1854 and the first Spanish and Chinese restaurants, 65 George St is still in the food production industry.

Michael is modest about his connection to that history but is worried about the business. Normally they would be 30 to 40 per cent busier with the tennis, he said.

Lisa, a local, pops in with her dog to reassure Michael. “We won’t let them go,” she said.

Michael bought the George Street Cafe eight years ago and has traded through the difficult lockdown period.

When he began looking, he said he could have gone for a business in the CBD, but he liked East Melbourne better.

“I wanted to interact with people, so I bought this,” he told Inner City News.

Michael is a hands-on owner and clearly enjoys the patter he has going with the local professionals who frequent the cafe.

“We don’t have tea,” he said to one customer, then laughed. “English breakfast or Chinese?”

Michael worked for 20 years as a warehouse manager in Richmond before he went into business.

In life you never plan. You come across something and it’s okay. You might have a strategy plan for years and nothing happens. I looked at it and it was within my budget. I’m open-minded

That strategy has paid off. He employed a chef and can now make some of the dishes himself.

These include smashed pumpkin on toast for breakfast and fruit salad, which he makes on the spot. There’s also a five-bean bake served with roti •

Locals have remained loyal even if Michael is worried about the competition up the street.