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Cafe owner responds to extortionate avocado drama

A Sydney cafe has responded after being slammed for their $10.90 side of avocado. Little Jack Horner, situated right in front of Coogee Beach, also charges $11.90 for halloumi and $9.90 for a side of bacon, all of which are meant to be shared. Cafe owner BJ McHatton spoke to 9Honey about the avocado side dish that made waves. "The smashed avocado is portioned at almost one and a half avocados, as well as containing other ingredients to make it a dish, not just an avocado in a bowl," he said of the dish. "The price of avocados does fluctuate, two months ago we were paying double what we are today," he said, adding that the venue works with local providers who go to the market daily to provide them with quality produce. "Of course, this comes at a higher cost that allows us to have a quality offering for our customers.” He pointed out that this is the first price increase in 10 years, with "the hospitality industry as a whole all the way from the suppliers to the actual venues himself have seen prices explode over the last 12 months.” McHatton added that the cafe is in a prime location, with live music five nights a week, 160 indoor plants that are professionally cared for, and their efforts to support local teams, clubs, schools and charities all contribute to their prices. "Obviously, running a business of this size, and in this destination has a lot of associated expenses. All of this has to be taken into account when we set prices for our products.” Despite increased media coverage, McHatton says they haven’t received any backlash. "Obviously being on a few radio stations and covered by a few news stations it has generated some interest on those stories. However, after reading the comments, most of them are supportive. Most people genuinely seem to understand how hard running a business is the associated cost to come with running a business," he told 9Honey. However, he expressed disappointment at the Google reviews that were allegedly left overnight by people who had never been to the cafe. "[It's] disappointing that people will go to the trouble of leaving a review having never actually experienced the venue. If anyone has ever been to our place, they know it's a lot more about an experience, which includes the food than just the food and the price," McHatton said. Other reviewers have dubbed the food “grossly overpriced”, with one reviewer revealing their Easter lunch of two breakfasts and fruit juice was almost $100. Another added that the prices were "pushing close to that of what you would expect for dinner," though they did say the food "was great". Image credit: Shutterstock

Food & Wine

Pugs and kisses! New London cafe takes the pug world by storm

London has welcomed its very first pug-themed cafe, right in time for Christmas. Adorably dubbed "CuppaPug", seven rescued pugs have been dressed up in an array of cute outfits by the cafe owners, giving customers and super pug fans the chance to spend hours with the beautiful and chunky pups. If that wasn’t enticing enough, you can play with the puggies and give them plenty of cuddles while they’re dressed like Santa and his helpers. The cafe's motto is "pugs' welfare first, café second" and is home to seven resident pugs in descending age. Gaston is the oldest at six years of age, followed by, Bruce, Bowser, Beau, Gizmo, Bebe and finally Baloo – who is just six months old at the time of writing. Co-owner of the cafe, Aaron says that: "Pugmas is so special to us here at CuppaPug! “For Matt and I, "Pugmas" is about bringing festive joy and pugs to people really needing a strong dose of Christmas fun. “We are Christmas-themed with a pink Christmas Santa, pink Christmas trees, lights and decorations and, of course, the pugs in their little Santa outfits. "People walk back from work with a miserable face but once they see the pugs playing, it makes them stop in their tracks and smile, usually taking a heap of photos too. A lot of kids who visit tell us it's the best day of their lives! "The pugs are so well behaved with children and parents often bring children who've had bad experiences with dogs to try to overcome it. Reactions from customers are overwhelmingly positive; we really are a joyous place!" CuppaPug are looking to introduce PugLates, and cocktails will also be available on the menu soon. 10% of their entry fee goes towards rescuing and rehoming pugs, and they have pugs brought in who need adopting, partnering with The National Pug Protection Trust, who provide customers with information and advice. Customers often boast how therapeutic the experience is, especially when the pugs are having quiet time in their beds or on people's laps – but equally, there can be lots of chaotic fun when playing or training with the animals! For more information, head to <a href="https://www.cuppapug.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.cuppapug.com/</a> Images: Instagram

Family & Pets

Cafe won’t let guests leave until they finish their work

If you struggle a lot with procrastination then the only thing left for you to do is to book a ticket to Japan and head to this one cafe. Unless you procrastinate that too, but hear us out. Manuscript Writing Cafe in Tokyo is the one-stop destination for procrastinators looking to get their work done. There are 10 workstations and people are allowed to leave ONLY when they have finished their work. And the staff will make sure you have completed your projects as they come to check in on you at least six times an hour. They also bring with them free snacks, tea, coffee, water and high-speed wifi. Once you have completed all your tasks, you are given a paper with an orange stamp and you are free to leave. The video was shared to <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@leanneinjapan/video/7095383871398694149?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a> and has been viewed more than 624,000 times and has received around 120,000 likes with many commenting about how they need to be at the cafe all the time. “Yup, I definitely need to work there.. ah.. maybe later,” one wrote. “Kindness and torture at the same time,” someone commented. “I guess I'm bringing a sleeping bag,” another joked. “I’ll go later,” another joked about procrastinating their visit. “So essentially I'd be living there,” read another. Images: TikTok

International Travel

Cafe offering $92,000 to pour coffees

A cafe is offering baristas an impressive $92,000 salary to pour coffee. The Good Cartel in the Kimberley region of Western Australia is offering higher than industry rates for six positions at their cafe. The barista package offers a $92,030 salary and superannuation where the successful applicant must work 47 hours over five days, including the weekend. Those looking to keep their weekends free can apply for the barista position offering a $83,000 salary. Kitchen staff are offered almost $20,000 more at $112,464 annually to work 55 hours over the week, including weekends. For $102,000 kitchen staff can work and keep their weekends free, while drive-thru attendants are being offered $80,000 a year. Jack Kain, the owner of Good Cartel, said he was already paying higher industry rates but said it had become necessary in recent times to work with the rising cost of living. “It’s a better than usual strategy now with the labour shortage, which has now fallen well and truly off the cliff,” he told <a href="https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/wa/staff-shortages-force-kimberley-businesses-to-offer-baristas-90000-a-year--c-6064180" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Perth Now</a>. “When you combine this with the rental shortage and all of the various COVID restrictions incoming it’s going to be challenging.” Image: Shutterstock

Money & Banking

"It's for the kids": Cafe owner and daughter arrested and removed by police

Mother and daughter cafe owners have been dragged out of their own restaurant in handcuffs for failing to comply with Western Australia's Covid vaccination rules. Topolinis Caffe co-owner Jodie Jardine, 51 and her daughter, 22, were arrested in their family-run Italian restaurant after a dozen police officers descended on the property. They were charged under the Emergency Management Act for allegedly working despite not being vaccinated.Under Western Australia's Covid jab mandate that was introduced on January 31st, all hospitality workers in the state must be double dosed or face harsh fines and even jail time.Ms Jardine claimed that by not being vaccinated while on the job, she’s “standing up for the future of our children”.After a tense stand-off between the cafe owners and police, the unvaxxed duo were eventually led outside by officers and taken away. Footage from independent media shows that, later in that night, the mother and daughter were dropped at the restaurant to the applause of an awaiting crowd.“It’s a mother and daughter and we were in the cell,” Ms Jardine said.“We’re going to have to tell my grandchild … we were arrested for her or him because we’re standing up for our children and my grandchildren, that’s what I am doing. I am standing up for the future of our children and if we don’t, we’re not going to have a future."“[My daughter] was braver than me, but you know, it’s for the kids, we’re doing it for the kids, it’s always been about the kids.“I’m not sure what’s going to happen with the restaurant and my staff, my 20 staff that I have rely on me for their pay, I don’t know I am going to have to get a lawyer and see what our next step is.”Police allege they had they had attended the restaurant earlier in the day to warn about staying open with unvaccinated staff. Premier Mark McGowan made no apologies for the tactics of police saying, “Well that’s the law and people need to comply with it.”Ms Jardine’s husband Phil told The West Australian unvaccinated West Australians are “being segregated like the Jews in Germany”.The maximum penalty for breaching the Emergency Management Act is 12 months behind bars and a fine of $50,000, with the penally being up to $250,000 for corporations. Image credits: Youtube

Legal

Cafe with Peppa Pig on the menu causes outrage

A cafe in the centre of the Scottish capital of Edinburgh has come under fire for a divisive sign to lure in customers. Gordon Street Coffee decorated their chalkboard with a drawing of Peppa Pig next to a bacon sandwich to sell the popular breakfast item. As well as the “distasteful” sketch of the popular children’s character, the cafe had also included their own rendition of The Magic Roundabout cartoon cow, Ermintrude, to sell beef sandwiches. Despite the cafe’s light-hearted attempt at advertising tactics, outraged members of the public slammed their ideas and methods. Angry parents expressed their disappointment online over the sign, as they thought the drawings would traumatise children once they realised their beloved characters were intended as food. Animal rights organisation PETA led the online outrage, taking to Twitter to say, “Luring kids to meaty meals with cartoons of happy animals isn’t new, but it is dishonest.” “Kids naturally love animals, and would be horrified to see gentle pigs' throats slit for a sandwich.” Many other parents and vegan activists also slammed the cafe, saying the cafe was “sick, upsetting and dishonest”. One woman wrote on Twitter. “That's going to make a lot of children question food.” “I support that but damn this is pretty sick.” Another mother agreed, saying, “Even if you are not vegan or vegetarian that could be really upsetting.” “My kids would be absolutely traumatised if they saw that sign, it's really not funny.” The outrage comes after a new survey showed that one in five children have no idea that steak, sausages and ham are meat that comes from animals. Image credit: Twitter

Food & Wine

Mind-blowing historical “time capsule” discovered in café rafters

When workers were peeling back the old walls of the Liverpool eatery, they weren’t expecting to find a fragile piece of culinary history. The menu, dated from Wednesday, 15 January 1913, belonged to the former Yamen Café in Bold Street and was just one of the artifacts found in the rafters of LEAF, the caé that now occupies the same site on Bold Street. Staff of the LEAF Café in central Liverpool said the discovery had “blown their minds”. The historical menu offered an appetising selection of “refreshments, luncheons and afternoon teas”. LEAF founder and owner Natalie Haywood told CNN that the discovery was almost “creepy” since LEAF sells specialty teas just like its predecessor. Specials of the day included sweetbreads and peas, irish stew, and banana fritters, and the set menu featured boiled fowl, tournedos bearnaise, and meringues chantilly with pears, reflecting the cosmopolitan character of the port city at the time. A bowl of tomato on the menu cost four old pennies, the equivalent of £1.20 (AUD$2.14) today. <img style="width: 500px; height: 499.99999999999994px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841121/_118384859_menu.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/16062d041de84dfea92c5f15a5773802" /> Haywood said, “When I saw it I was staggered, it’s like a time capsule hidden in the walls. “To see what they were doing then, how forward-thinking and creative as a restaurant, is so inspiring. “We have always known this is a historic building but having the menu in our hands has made it all feel real, something dating back to the First World War.” According to a food historian, the menu wasn’t the typical fare for average working class Liverpudlians of the time and the prices were out of reach for most. Bryce Evens, associate professor in history at Liverpool Hope University, said it was aimed at an “upper middle class clientele” and that the “meaty” menu had a continental influence “typical only of the better-off in Britain at the time”. As a bustling maritime city, the foreign dishes and wider use of vegetables on Yamen’s menu illustrated Liverpool’s “cosmopolitanism” and “status as a major city of empire and trade and exchange”, Mr Evans said. Though the area now has a “bohemian” feel, Bold Street was the equivalent of London’s Bond Street in 1913, boasting car showrooms, high-end clothing stores, and fine dining. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841120/_118385638_hat.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/095667b65361449884f60465b7e60e46" /> Along with the 108-year-old menu, other finds included a waiter’s hat with “Yamen” embroidered on the rim, instructions for the English card game whist, and a packet of playing cards. Haywood said the items were found in the rafters of the mezzanine, which was being transformed from an office space into an area for private events. “Down came fluttering from the ceiling this menu from 108 years ago. It’s in absolutely unbelievable condition,” Haywood said. With this find, LEAF now plans to recreate some of the dishes as a tribute to the Yamen. Two permanent additions to the menu will be the Irish stew and Welsh rabbit. Once lockdown restrictions are lifted in England and the refurbishment is complete, Haywood also plans to host a special evening where a more extensive range of the menu items will be served. Image credits: LEAF

Real Estate

Mother outraged over treatment of child in cafe

A mother in New Zealand has lashed out at her favourite cafe after she discovered a nasty note from a worker directed to her daughter printed on a receipt. Kimberly Sze said that she and her daughter eat at a local cafe called Coffee Supreme on a weekly basis, but that quickly ended after she discovered a rude note on a receipt. The server had written the table was for the “Fam w(ith) the terrifying kid” and had overcharged her. Kimberly was less concerned with being overcharged and furious with her child being labelled as "terrifying". “We come almost every weekend and my daughter is nothing but polite and friendly and we’ve never left a mess,” Sze wrote on Facebook, alongside a picture of the receipt. <div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838524/mum-body.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/5298596fe8e946578179aac126a6255c" /> “She’s never been a terror, never had a meltdown, never caused any problems and the same people working today always comment on how cute and sweet she is.” Coffee Supreme New Zealand is in damage control mode, saying that the company is "incredibly sorry" about the incident. “We know you’ve since spoken to Tim, our Food and Beverage manager and know that we’re taking this incredibly serious (sic). “We’re horrified, to say the least. We want Coffee Supreme Welles Street to be a place for everyone and this sort of behaviour contradicts what we’ve been building.” The company addressed the incident on its Facebook page, saying it had "made a mistake". </div> </div> </div>

Family & Pets

Brisbane cafe's cruel response to local mum's Facebook review

A war of words has erupted between a local Brisbane cafe and a mum after the mother posted an unfavourable review of the café online. Kylie Lindsay left a one-star Google review about Windsor’s Low Road Cafe two days ago after she went there for breakfast with her partner and her 15-month-old son. However, the family were told that the venue did not offer high chairs. Lindsay stated this in her review. “That is okay — we left and went elsewhere and that is their business prerogative,” Ms Lindsay wrote in the review. “However, when I politely commented on their business page that I was disappointed we weren’t able to dine there and support a local business, I was subjected to name calling and told it was my loss.” Lindsay stated that she received a “quirky but OK” response from the café before being “attacked unmercifully” after she sent another response. “You are an a******e, and when questioned you deleted all of your comments,” the cafe hit back in response to Ms Lindsay’s second response on Facebook. “Your profile tells us you’re a racist too. Keep your one star review. We do not need you.” Lindsay spoke to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/" target="_blank">The Courier-Mail</a> about the incident, saying: “They went to town on me and even complete strangers who dared to stick up for me.” The café owners explained to Lindsay in their original response that they didn’t have high chairs due to the hazard they posed in their small café. “We’ve had accidents where people trip over them. Also people leave them covered in crap and it hurts our feelings,” they wrote on Facebook. “As I pointed out to you this morning, you are more than welcome to bring your pram in.” The Low Road Windsor Cafe are known for being “quirky”, which can be seen on their Instagram page. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv3RckPnRps/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv3RckPnRps/" target="_blank">IS THERE ANYTHING SHE CAN'T WRITE?</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/thelowroadwindsor/" target="_blank"> The Low Road Cafe</a> (@thelowroadwindsor) on Apr 4, 2019 at 11:22pm PDT </div> </blockquote> They replied to Lindsay’s Google review of their establishment two days ago, saying “thanks for your 4,900,000th opinion on the matter”. “You’ve been kicking off on all sorts of social media trying to discredit us because you didn’t get your way, and now you’re here,” the cafe wrote. “We don’t have highchairs. We explained why. We are parents ourselves. Please, for the love of God, have a glass of wine and pop some kind of nurturing essential oil in your diffuser and leave us alone.” <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/brisbane-cafes-nasty-response-to-facebook-review/news-story/a97de704b0946342dc99b1442bcaecff" target="_blank">News.com.au </a>reached out to the café owners, but a staff member explained that the couple have taken time off. However, a post was made this morning on their Facebook page thanking their customer base for support. “We won’t be talking to any more media about it as we’d be more than happy to move on with our lives and get back to doing what we do best (as soon as we figure out what that is),” they wrote. “We love you all, we love our dumb little cafe and the community you’ve helped us build around it.”

Travel Trouble

UK critics scathing review rips cafe to shreds

Australian cuisine generally goes down well in London, especially when you consider how many Aussie expats call the British capital home. But this wasn’t the case for one cafe, which has been ripped to shreds by a scathing review. <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/au" target="_blank">The Guardian’s</a> Jay Rayner has penned an excruciating review of Farm Girl café, which describes itself as “a holistic yet comfortingly simple approach to Australian cafe culture.” <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fabcnews.au%2Fvideos%2F10156697527774988%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> To say Rayner was underwhelmed, would be an understatement. “We don’t stay for dessert, we’ve suffered enough,” he said. “There’s V for Vegan. There’s GF for Gluten Free. There’s DF for Dairy Free. I think they’re missing a few. There should be TF for Taste Free and JF for Joy Free and AAHYWEH for Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here,” he wrote. And that was just the start for the café, situation in Chelsea. “It fills quickly on a cold winter’s evening with blonde-tressed Chelsea women just bubbling with intolerances,” Rayner continues. “It’s not just the dismal cooking that pains me here. It’s the squandering of ingredients and of people’s time and the tiresome narrative of ‘wellness’ with which it’s been flogged. “I find myself eyeing the Yorkshire terrier, greedily. Just hand him over, give me access to the grill, and five minutes.” <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fthejayrayner%2Fposts%2F1863407513733710&width=500" width="500" height="551" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true"></iframe> Rayner has a reputation for being a particularly hard marker, but to her credit Farm Girl’s founder Rose Mann took the piece in good humour. “We think it’s a very entertaining piece and rather enjoyed reading it,” she wrote on Facebook. What do you think? Does the review go too far?

Books

Senior sisters open their own café in retirement

Stepping into Sue Wright and Nicky Brindle’s Greytown café is like walking into the stylish living room of a long lost friend. The two sisters, who have a combined hospitality experience of over 120 years, are warm and inviting, much like the light and airy contemporary surroundings of their café “2 Short Whites”… the name a humorous play on their stature and a nod to their hair colour. The café located in the The Hub’ a new retail development in the centre of Greytown, a pretty colonial village only one hour’s drive from Wellington, is the latest chapter in the varied and interesting working lives of these two dynamic sisters. “We tried retiring but to be honest got bored,” laughs Nicky. “We realised at this age no one else was going to employ us, so we decided to employ ourselves.” Nicky and Sue have boundless energy and have been behind several well-known businesses in New Zealand’s Wairarapa region over the years. Nicky is Le Cordon Bleu trained andused to own Masterton based wedding venue and catering company Toad’s Landing while Sue along with husband Andrew established the Mela fruit juice brand, which is now run by her daughter Sarah and son in law Brian Belluomini. The couple were also involved in the award-winning Lighthouse Gin and Sue owned the popular, funky giftware store Mondo for almost 10 years. “Nicky and I did our own thing for years then decided to come together and set up this café and restaurant. We’re both serious about food and great hospitality so it was a bit of a no-brainer,” says Sue. "We came along, two old ladies, and gave The Hub developer Steve Pilbrow our concept for a café … and he loved it. We want people to feel welcome here and enjoy our menu which offers seasonal, rustic and wholesome food.” The smell of freshly baked bread, which is fermented for 24 hours, greets visitors and depending what time of day free-range bacon can be smelt cooking. There is a terrific range of baking and sweet treats to tempt all ages while the sister’s range of preserves are neatly displayed on colourful shelves. Since opening their doors, Nicky and Sue have run cooking classes, such as bread-making; had themed dinner evenings and even played Fairy Godmother running a series of successful Singles Dinners (for ages 35 years to 50 years and for the 50-plus years) for those looking for love and friendship. “We were directors of the night serving up an incredible two-course meal and helping make introductions between people. We wanted them to come here, feel relaxed and enjoy great company, great wine and great food,” says Sue. “We all know that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach!” Unfortunately, 2 Flat Whites is no longer in business. The cafe has since changed hands and is now known as Brasserie 74. Have you started your own business in retirement? Share your experience with us in the comments below. For more information about 2 Short Whites or the Wairarapa visit, <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.wairarapanz.com" target="_blank">www.wairarapanz.com</a>.

Retirement Life

Canberra café surprises burglar with hilarious note

The staff at Niugini Arabica in Canberra had the last laugh after leaving a note inside their cash register after repeat burglaries. The café has been targeted before, so knowing that thieves would return to their shop, staff took the cash from the register before locking up for the day and replaced it with post-it-notes that read, “HAHA No Money” and “F**k you”. On March 20, the thieves returned with security footage showing three men wearing hoods break the glass before entering and rummaging through the store. The thieves found the cash register open with the notes and then left with a couple bags of coffee beans and a mobile phone. “Apart from stealing the work mobile phone, the thieves managed to walk right past the tip jar and get away with 2kg of our finest single origin roasted beans,” staff shared. “At least they have great taste in coffee.” Last Tuesday, the ACT Police attended the café and investigations are ongoing. It is not the first time Niugini Arabica enjoyed outsmarting thieves. On a previous occasion, a man used an axe to break in but only left with a first-aid bandage. The CCTV footage of the break in was paired with the Benny Hill soundtrack and commentary from owner Theodore Levantis’ son, who used it for a school assignment. <iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X35MFUG8Law?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

Insurance

Outrage as café bans all children under the age of 12

15 on the Corner in Lichfield, a UK café, has had its TripAdvisor page slammed with one-star reviews after it implemented a new policy banning children under the age of 12 in an effort to crack down on “screaming” children. One reviewer said they had “never felt so discriminated,” going so far as to wish the café “goes out of business quickly”. Another, who entered the establishment with their sleeping baby, said they “have never been so mortified” after they were turned away, pointing out that there were no signs indicating the café’s strict policy. Despite the negative reviews, other diners have thrown their support behind the café, saying it’s refreshing to see such “forward thinking” and regard for people wanting to have a coffee in peace. “As someone who cannot stand children or having a quiet coffee on a day off ruined by screaming brats, this place is a breath of fresh air!” wrote one woman. Another reviewer said it was “perfect for adults who don’t want to imagine themselves in a creche”. The owner of the café, aside from confirming the policy, declined to comment further. Is it fair to ban children from a café? Or do you think the extreme measure is justified? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. Image credit: South West News Service.

International Travel

A Golden Girls café has opened in New York City

It may have been off the air for 25 years, but beloved sitcom Golden Girls is still very much alive, albeit in a very unexpected place. Earlier this year, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ruelaruecafe/" target="_blank">Rue La Rue Café</a> opened in Manhattan, and it’s even better than you could possibly imagine. The café is the brainchild of Michael La Rue, a close friend of “Golden Girl” Rue McClanahan (who played Blanche Devereaux). When she passed away in 2010, La Rue inherited many of her possessions, including props and knick-knacks from the show’s set, which he used to decorate the café. Episodes of the Emmy-winning program play at the café, while patrons can treat themselves to a number of Golden Girls-themed desserts – and yes, there’s plenty of cheesecake. There’s Dorothy’s salted caramel cheese cake, the coconut Betty White cake, Rue’s Orange Poppyseed Cake (one of Rue’s own recipes), Sophia’s cure for depression cookies and much more. Flip through the gallery above to see the café in all its glory – it will certainly bring back some memories!

Kangaroo bounces into Melbourne cafe for breakfast

How about a side of kangaroo with that big breakfast? Only in Australia can you have your breakfast with a kangaroo actually at your table. Staff and patrons at a Melbourne cafe had an unusual guest join them for breakfast on Tuesday morning. A kangaroo hopped though the Epping Plaza shopping centre and into Goldies Coffee House, perhaps wanting some breakfast. Despite their cute appearance, kangaroos can become aggressive, so customers and staff quickly vacated the premises and called for help. Helping Hands Animal Rescue volunteer Heidi Still received the call and promptly made her way to the cafe, where she was met by two police officers. Constables Hatzimanolis and Stephenson kept shoppers away from kangaroo until it was caught with the aid of blanket. Helping Hands posted on their Facebook page details of the kangaroo's capture. "The little male roo who has been named Goldie, was a great talker (head shaking) which is always a good thing when you are trying to blanket them!" Goldie suffered a few minor injuries, including a split lip and toenail wear, from when he first entered the cafe and crashed into windows. He was later released "back to his family" in a safe area away from Epping town centre. Video credit: Facebook / Helping Hands Animal Rescue - Victoria First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>. Related links: <a href="/travel/international/2016/05/6-incredible-places-to-spot-kangaroos-in-australia/">6 incredible places to spot kangaroos in Australia</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/05/flying-kangaroo-strikes-a-jogger-in-bendigo/">Flying kangaroo strikes a jogger in Bendigo</a> <a href="/travel/international/2016/03/kids-meet-kangaroos-for-the-first-time/">Kids meet kangaroos for the first time</a>

International Travel

This café is home to 17 cats

Are you a cat lover that has found yourself without your furry friend is the last few years? If you’re in Auckland, you don’t have to get another pet to fill the void. <a href="http://thecatlounge.co.nz/" target="_blank">The Cat Lounge</a> on Auckland’s north shore is set up as an award winning coffee roasters, while the other half of the building is a cat lovers dream. Cat walkways and tunnels twine around the comfy couches and the haven is home to seventeen friendly felines. Owners Mike Jones and Vicky Chapman have partnered with sponsor FRISKIES and non for profit rescue organisation Lonely Miaow to ensure the residents are given the best treatment and raise awareness for cats in need of forever homes. About 20, 000 cats are put down each year in the Auckland region alone, for reasons cited as “behavioural problems” or simply because families didn’t want them anymore. Initiatives like “The Cat Lounge” help support animal groups looking to encourage adoptions over pet store purchases and change this heart breaking number. Have a look at the adorable video above when the residents at the cat lounge were welcomed to their forever home. Have you adopted an animal in need from a shelter? Share your happy pet photos with us in the comments below. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/03/top-10-favourite-cat-sleeping-positions/">Top 10 favourite cat sleeping positions</a> <a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/03/cutest-pet-criminal-duos/">10 of the cutest pet criminal duos</a> <a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/05/gallery-of-very-important-cat-jobs/">12 very important cat jobs</a>

News

10 photos immortalise the disappearing cafes of Paris

Paris is one of the most captivating, fascinating cities in the world and in this photo series the city’s eerie, sometimes surreal beauty really comes to the fore. Titled ‘Red Lights’, this photo series composed by talented French artist Blaise Arnold, is designed to provides a stunning, mesmerising document of the fading beauty of the many of the old cafes and bars that adorn the streets of the City of Light. As bigger businesses muscle out the smaller shops, Mr Arnold hopes his work will provide a way for people to remember and appreciate these classic bistros. The pictures themselves are absolutely mesmerising, with the bright, neon light of the shop’s signs contrasting with the bleak surrounds of the empty streets. To see all of the pictures scroll through the gallery above. You can also <a href="http://www.blaisearnold.net/" target="_blank">find more of Mr Arnold’s photography here</a>. Have you ever visited Paris? If so, what was your favourite memory from the City of Light, and do these photographs take you back to your visit? Please let us know in the comments below. Image credit: Facebook / Blaise Arnold Photography Related links: <a href="/travel/international/2016/02/is-it-safe-to-go-back-to-paris/">Is it safe to go back to Paris?</a> <a href="/travel/international/2016/05/woman-travels-to-paris-to-explore-amelie-film-locations/">Woman travels to Paris to explore Amelie film locations</a> <a href="/travel/international/2016/04/secret-apartment-eiffel-tower-paris/">The secret apartment at the top of the Eiffel Tower</a>

International Travel

Fire at popular Oriental Bay cafe

When two-year-old Hirini Whakamoe looked out the window and saw smoke he knew just what to do - call Fireman Sam. The boy was at his grandmother Christine Kershaw's house on Wellington waterfront when they noticed the large amount smoke coming from Oriental Parade. "He was watching Fireman Sam at the time and raced over and grabbed the phone and said that he had to ring Fireman Sam now." The budding fireman then put on his fireman hat and went with Kershaw to find out what was happening. He was quite over-awed to find about 10 fire trucks outside Beach Babylon, with crews battling a kitchen fire in the popular eatery. He went very shy when he got the chance to meet senior station officer John Mansford, but did get some stickers for his hat, she said. "He was in seventh heaven really. He's not going to take that hat off anytime soon." The fire service was called out to Beach Babylon on Oriental Parade shortly after 9am on Monday. Staff at the popular cafe tried to put out the fire, but firefighters were called in when they realised it had moved into the wall cavity. Chefs Brooke Marshall and Manuel Mante and kitchen-hand Nigel Rees were working on morning food preparations and cleaning when the oven powerpoint began to spark and smoke. "I was doing my cleaning where the fire started. Luckily I had just finished behind [the gas oven] when the plug started sparking and smoke came out," Rees said. "I used the fire extinguisher and it seemed to go out, but about 10 minutes after that there was smoke coming out of the walls. "It was quite nerve-racking at how fast it spread." The gas oven had been pulled away from the wall, potentially saving the restaurant from worse damage, Marshall said. "We are lucky it didn't hit the gas valves - there are six of them right near where the fire was," she said. "We had pulled the stove out. It that had happened later, the gas oven would have been right next to the wall. We were pretty lucky." "I got a txt saying, 'B on fire'. I was a little bit confused...so I txted back and it took a wee while, but then I got a response saying to come down and look at all the smoke. "It's not great to see a whole lot of fire engines outside your building, I could see smoke from quite a long way away, but it was really nice to see no flames and that everyone was calm and relaxed and to know that everyone got out ok." Everyone was safe and uninjured, but he had not yet been allowed back inside the building to assess the damage and was unable to say when it would re-open. Cafe co-owner Simon Holtham said he first heard about the fire when one of the kitchen crew sent him a message. "We will be fine. We will keep going. [Some customers] are disappointed they aren't going to get their coffee! I've had someone just ask...[but] sorry we are out of action. "We have amazing locals here in Oriental Bay and lots of people are checking to see if we are ok." Insurers would be able to assess the building when it was handed back to the owners by the fire services. At noon on Monday there were still three fire trucks at the premises dampening down hot spots and it would be some time until they left, fire communication shift manager Jan Wills said. At the scene, fire assistant area commander Paul Smith said the fire was now under control, but there was quite a bit of damage to the ground-floor of the building, including some from the fire crews' actions in putting out the fire. "The first two crews that arrived found a fire that had made its way behind a wall lining, so it was quite hard to get to."It was very hot, smoky conditions, it's dark and you can't see where you're going. Also because the fire had moved behind a wall, you can't see bright flames through smoke, so locating a fire in those conditions is quite tricky." About 10 fire trucks were at the scene at the height of the fire because of the potential for it to spread to the rest of the building or neighbouring buildings. Quite often in construction in Wellington there are large voids in the walls and it can be easy for fire to spread. So as it developed we called in more appliances until we had it under control." Fire investigators will return once the scene is safe to establish the cause. Written by Amy Jackman. First appeared on <a href="http://www.Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>. Related links: <a href="/news/news/2016/02/playful-panda-cub-frolic-in-the-snow/">Watch this playful panda cub frolic in the snow</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/02/groom-mispronounces-wedding-vows/">Groom mispronounces wedding vows and bride can’t stop laughing</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/02/woman-raccoon-like-creature-sleeping-on-her-chest/">99-year-old woman wakes up to find raccoon-like creature sleeping on her chest</a>

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