The café is a purpose-driven social enterprise on a casual lease agreement that leveraged an existing café tenancy fit out from an exiting tenant, which was able to be repurposed with no refurbishment – just new signage and a deep clean. By donating the fit out and tenancy rent-free¹⁴², Eastland enabled the café to focus on impact from day one. In FY25, a total of $97,621.89 in café profits was reinvested back into the community to support the services that Glen Park Community Centre provides for all of their support programs. In addition, the café received over $15,000 in wage subsides from the Victorian Government Lean Local program which paid for the café employees’ wages.

The café supports people living with disability, those facing mental health challenges and individuals experiencing long-term unemployment. It provides real-world hospitality training, wraparound support, and a welcoming environment where confidence, resilience and employability can thrive.

On Mondays and Tuesdays, when the café is closed to the public, the space hosts two dedicated community training programs: Women Out Working and Career Café, delivered in partnership with Glen Park Community Centre and Opendoor. A total of $35,000 was provided by the Victorian Government Learn Local program to run these initiatives, which provided participants with additional skills, hands-on training and tailored support in everything hospitality related. 

Every employee at the café is a local community member who has either faced long-term unemployment or, due to disability, is entering the workforce for the very first time after completing one of the hospitality programs with Glen Park Community Centre. A total of 13 people have been employed as a result of this café, either through direct employment or as a result of participating in the Women Out Working or Career Café programs.