Wholesale Diaries: Mr Tucker
Tucked away on North Melbourne’s quiet Melrose Street, Mr Tucker has been serving the local community for the past eight years. The neighbourhood gem specialises in quality coffee, homemade food, take-home meals and corporate catering.
But Mr Tucker is more than just a cafe - it’s a community hub, where locals come not only for great food and coffee, but to connect.
We chatted with Jacob, the friendly face behind Mr Tucker to find out how it all began!
Axil Coffee: You’ve been here eight years. What made you start?
Mr Tucker: I started off with a tiny little 20 square metre place around the corner which we had for about three years which we quickly outgrew. We then took over another tenancy next door, got our liquor licence and we've been growing organically since then.
Axil Coffee: What was a big struggle coming from a smaller venue into a bigger one? Was there anything that caught you by surprise?
Mr Tucker: We initially started running both venues side by side and it just didn’t work financially. It took about six months for us to realise we were bleeding money out of one of them, so we quickly pulled the band-aid on that. Since that day, we had our biggest day of trade combined. It was a moment where I realised and thought, “oh, I should have done that a long time ago.”
Axil Coffee: What's a big lesson that you’ve learned here that you’d like to pass on to other cafe owners?
Mr Tucker: I think the main thing is to not try and do things yourself. Don't make yourself a vital point of the business. It's all about empowering your team and handing over the reins to things, because it'll make your life a lot easier in the long run.
Axil Coffee: When did you first start using Axil Coffee?
Mr Tucker: When I first opened Pocket, which was the original venue. I'd been in discussions with Axil Coffee back then, but unfortunately I couldn't afford my own machinery at the time. But when I started to look around again, Axil Coffee reached out. That was four years ago and I’ve never looked back. It's been a really collaborative relationship between Mr Tucker and Axil Coffee.
Axil Coffee: A big part of this venue is community and having a good relationship with all your customers. Tell us a bit more about the Mr Tucker community?
Mr Tucker: The majority of our customers are in at least once a day. We get people two, three times a day! Every time I have a new staff member start, they’re blown away by how friendly all our regular customers are - it's like a little community. We’re very spoiled.
A big thank you to the team at Mr Tucker! We love partnering with like-minded cafés and café owners who are just as passionate about serving delicious coffee and providing exceptional hospitality.
If you’re in North Melbourne, pop by and say hello to the team at Mr Tucker, located at 17 Melrose Street.
Subscribe
Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more …