When Melburnians talk about a latte line it’s most often a reference to the demographic divide through the suburbs, or, at the very least, the wait time for a “small, skinny, no sugar”.
But on Rathdowne Street in Carlton North, the centimetres separating a wildly popular cafe from its residential neighbours have been clearly defined on the footpath, and have become the subject of a lawyers’ cease and desist letter.
The decal was installed outside the Rathdowne Street cafe on Friday.Credit:Eddie Jim
The dispute centres on takeaway trade from Florian Eatery, and the customers who queue for it in front of residents’ homes.
Yarra City Council, having received several complaints from nearby property owners, last Friday installed a red decal on the footpath saying: “Florian Eatery customers, please do not stand here”.
Since opening in March last year, Florian has attracted a loyal following. The cafe serves breakfast and lunch seven days a week inside its premises and in its alfresco section.
However, customers waiting for takeaway food and drinks often line up outside the venue, a habit that has angered residents and led to some threatening to take the venue owners to court.
The wide section of footpath in front of Florian is used for outdoor dining.
Neighbours claim the cafe is, by “de facto”, trading beyond its boundaries without a permit because, although the transaction occurs inside, customers are served in front of nearby homes and handed their takeaway orders on the footpath.
They say patrons are constantly “having a picnic” in front of their fence, and stomping on and dumping leftover coffee on the verge. At least one resident claims to have given up on working from home because of the constant chatter from the street.
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A neighbour who did not want to be identified said up to 80 people stood outside her property waiting for takeaway orders on weekends.
“I’ve lived in the inner city for 40 years. I’m entirely supportive of cafes and small traders in the area,” she told The Age.
“[But] I’m opposed to anybody serving people outside their premises. From my point of view, people should not be able to serve outside the perimeter of their licence.”
Frustrated residents have resorted to telling off the customers lining on the street, a move that has put off some regulars from returning to the eatery.
Florian has attempted to solve the issue by directing customers to queue away from nearby properties but once the patrons are outside the cafe’s boundary area, there’s little its staff can do.
Customers line up outside Florian Eatery on Monday morning.Credit:Eddie Jim
Under Yarra City Council regulations, customers are allowed to line up on the street outside a venue while they wait for their order or a free table.
Local laws only restrict the placement of tables, chairs and other infrastructure on the footpath, stipulating they must be located at least 1.5 metres from the building line to ensure accessibility is maintained.
The decal on the footpath is the latest attempt by the council to mediate the dispute, which began in November 2021.
A council spokeswoman said officers had visited the area multiple times in the past seven months to investigate neighbours’ concerns.
“Council has been working with the cafe and the neighbours to resolve this issue. Both parties were co-operative and satisfied with the decision to install a decal,” she said.
The sign is not enforceable, which means those who stand on the red line won’t be fined for doing so.
Mario Di Ienno, one of the owners of nearby Gerald’s Bar, said the council should have defended the right of customers to stand on the street.
“I don’t understand what the major issue is. If there was violence, rubbish, spitting, all those things, then yes,” he told The Age.
“But this is a cafe and people waiting for takeaway coffees standing on the footpath and the grass median strip. What is the issue?”
Di Ienno, who has been trading in the area for 15 years, said the neighbours’ attitude towards Florian was disappointing, particularly after two years of COVID lockdowns.
“If you don’t like it, don’t live in the inner city. There’s traffic, there’s noise, and autumn leaves filling in the gutter. This is where we live.”
Half a dozen customers were waiting for their takeaway order when The Age visited the street this week. Some were standing beyond the boundaries of the cafe, but none could be seen blocking or littering nearby properties.
The Age approached the owners of Florian Eatery, who declined to comment.
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