Heart of Carlton owners remain positive in the face of repeated attacks

Following a series of attacks against beloved café The Heart of Carlton, owners Michael and Nadeen Kelly are hopeful for the future of the café and say the community support received has being “incredible”.

Tucked along Elgin St, the Kellys' cafe is at the “heart” of Carlton in more than just name. A well-loved haunt of many locals, the café provides an affordable, delicious and community-minded experience.

However, “darkness” has rocked this café, with Mr Kelly telling Inner City News how a spate of five separate attacks over the past two months has left many residents shocked.

Despite this, the owners remain positive, with Mr Kelly choosing to focus on the outpouring of support from the local community, rather than the “darkness” of the vandalism.

“The reaction from locals has been really positive, like nothing I’ve ever experienced in my life,” Mr Kelly said.

The café, known for its cheap prices and emphasis on the importance of community connection, has a distinct way of appealing to locals.

University student and resident of Carlton Erica Tuesley said the café was “fantastic”.

“I love it. It’s cheap, the food's good. It helps me out on the weeks when I’m running a bit short on cash,” she said.

“Everything’s so expensive now, and places like this are not very common anywhere anymore. But it’s not just about the money. There’s something special about it, it’s a really unique place.”

Mr Kelly said the reasons underlying the vandalism could be linked back to larger societal issues.

“It's apathy. People don't care about other people. The connection just isn’t there,” he said, however he added that the overwhelmingly supportive community response had “changed my view on the world.”

“Something like this makes you realise that people have 10 times more appreciation for you than you thought,” Mr Kelly said.

“There’s goodness in people, and lots of people want to get to that goodness but sometimes something needs to spark it. Never in my wildest dreams would I have guessed this would be what unlocked it.”

This is testament to not just locals’ love for the establishment, but to a desire within Carlton’s community to give back where they can, starting with small actions taken within their own community.

“I'm lucky to have a suburb like Carlton. So, I should do my best to contribute to this area, give back where I can. I care, so others care, and people support each other through this,” he said.

During the seven years they’ve operated The Heart of Carlton, the couple has have created strong community ties, and Mr Kelly said many locals felt that an attack against the cafe was “also an attack on them”.

“When I first started this café, I thought, I’m just going to try and be nice to everyone and see what happens. It built community and helped me connect with people,” he said. “Then, this dark attack came into the café, but it sort of worked to shed light on strength of my community.”

A GoFundMe has been set up to help restore The Heart of Carlton’s shopfront, which can be found here.•