Aussies have rallied to save a cafe over fears the owners are being pressured to leave over a disputed parking spot at the back of the venue.
A concerned local took to Reddit to appeal for help to save Blume Specialty Coffee on the Hornirbrook Highway at Brighton, in north Brisbane.
‘Blume Cafe being pressured by neighbouring unit owners (with dirty tricks) to give up one of their paid for staff-parking spots at the back of the complex,’ they wrote.
‘According to the unit owners, they want their guests to use one of the staff-parking spots the cafe pays for in their lease.
‘The unit owners have forced Blume Cafe to remove street signage (through complaints to Brisbane City Council).’
The local claimed the unit owners had taken drastic action against the cafe.
‘The unit owners make a car blockade every weekend to take up about 5 street parking spots using 3 spaced out cars,’ they wrote.
‘The blockade cars are moved out of the unit owner’s garages for this purpose.
‘Any ideas how this will play out? Any suggestions to save our great little local cafe?’
Social media users were quick to offer their suggestions with one making a list of possible courses of action.
‘Get car signs/magnets made with ‘Cafe Open’ and park cars out the front with those signs in them,’ one wrote.
‘This won’t solve the parking issue but it will send a message to the mean neighbours. Get “Cafe Open” signs made for bicycles and park those out the front.
‘Get all the neighbours to post amazing reviews on Google and any other social media, in particular calling out the mean neighbours. People love an underdog story.
‘Write to council requesting the parking spaces out front be designated 2 hours max.
‘That’s enough for customers to visit, but would be annoying for the mean neighbours to have to park and move their cars.
‘Write to the local councillor – or even better – call in to the office – requesting they waive council fees for the signage application due to cost of living pressures (worth a shot).’
A second wrote: ‘They are my local and are fantastic. My Saturday morning treat is walking to the dog park and stopping by for coffee.
‘Their coffee is top notch, and the staff are lovely. They allow the men’s shed across the road to sell a selection of wears as well, and the vibe is just great to boot.
‘F*** these pricks trying to ruin their business. Would love to know if any of them are self-employed and how they’d enjoy it…’
‘They need to gather groups of cyclists who stop on their rides,’ another added.
‘That’ll annoy the residents no end because: ‘A) don’t need a parking space so doesn’t get impacted by the parking bullshit they’re doing, B) lots of business. Cyclists often want to drink their coffee and get on with it too.
‘C) if they get cyclist business, it’s usually pretty solid return custom. Also residents will hate it.’
A fourth had advice for the unit owners.
‘Sounds like their guests could park in one of the spare garage spaces now that the residents are parking on the street,’ they wrote.
Others accused the neighbours of bullying the cafe.
‘What a shame on those bullying the cafe! I was there just two days ago, the staff are so lovely and the coffee was delicious,’ one wrote.
A second added: ‘The cafe owner and staff are so nice, it has been really upsetting to see this bullying.’
The owners of the cafe declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail .