What defines a neighbourhood? We think it’s all about the people. About good neighbours, who help each other with generosity, compassion and no expectation of reciprocation. Restaurants, bars and cafes don’t need to ruthlessly compete with each other to succeed. And if they work together, they can often go farther than they ever could have done on their own.
Good Neighbours: Untold Stories of Sydney | Series Trailer
Be generous. No matter what the people, or situations are. When your neighbouring business comes in, needs something from you, give freely, give with your heart and have no expectations – we’re always doing things on the house, and I don’t expect anything back from it. It’s all about being kind, being charitable, being hospitable.
Just giving back to the neighbours. Like, we built a community garden, after Covid, and tried to fill it with fruit and vegetables and all that for them to have. We had the mayor come down and open it because they were like “You are such a community.” It’s having that non-expectation that you’re going to get something back. We’re always borrowing stuff from each other.
When we first moved here, we wanted be from this community. And we kind of wanted to showcase everything that’s going on around. When there’s too many people waiting on the footpath at Happyfield, we’ll say “Guys, it’s an hour wait – but go to Pasticceria Papa, or Frank’s Fruit Shop if it’s too long of a line.” We just try our best to keep everything local.
What makes you a good neighbour is also what helps you succeed in hospitality right? It’s empathy. It’s willingness to support each other and help out when you need to. Our trade is predominantly local. The people in the area might change, but they’re still local. I’ve lost track of the amount of people that I’ve met and become friends with through this place.
We all need each other. Every business out there. It’s always been about supporting local business, not just within here, but outside of here. Supporting people on their journeys – whether personal or aspirational. Being a good neighbour isn’t exclusive to just the people that we come across – we hold that value for everyone.
We have a lot of neighbours down the road. We have coffee, just talking and having a chat about how everything’s going in this area. Having this community surrounding us is so lovely. When opening a venue in a new area, to be able to feel that is a very special thing. We always support each other in any way.
To be a good neighbour is to be the first person that you think of when you’re in a bit of trouble. If you have a package and you’re not able to grab it – if you have a good relationship with your neighbour, they can help you. It’s not necessarily who we call on all the time, but it’s who we actually call when we’re in a bit of a pickle. That’s being a good neighbour.
It’s very much about sharing. Sharing love with all the people around you and with all the businesses around you. When we didn’t have a coffee machine – because we were waiting for a new one to arrive – we would send people to our neighbours. We help each other.
