Charity-run coffee van draws ire from Wollongong cafe
The “druggie” crowd attracted to a charity-run coffee van in Wollongong’s Globe Lane is scaring off customers for another café.
Comic Cafe operators Shane Mason and Chris Atlee say that The Need a Feed van, which provides $1 cups of coffee on weekday mornings, is attracting the wrong type of clients, who are driving away regular customers from their café.
“They come and sit directly next to our shop, under the old David Jones carpark, just swearing – just ‘f’s’ and ‘c’s’ everywhere,” Mason told the Illawarra Mercury.
“It echoes. I can hardly hear my customers because of the noise they’re making… I actually watch [drug] deals happen. I let the police know but by the time they come down, obviously it’s too late.”
The council and Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery continue to back the charity van arrangement, saying it has reduced anti-social behaviour in the mall. However, speaking at a police-led forum last week, Wollongong MP Paul Scully said he will follow up the complaints.
Sheridan Randall, 14th December 2018
