“Brunch on Ferguson” Opens Its Doors
Once working in a conservative law environment for 20 years, Tina Crowley’s highlight of the day was lunch time where she would stroll the David Jones café strip seeking to indulge in her passion, food. She is the first one to admit, “I’m a self-confessed foodie. I’m just so excited about everything to do with cooking especially French, Italian and Japanese.”
The thought of working in the hospitality industry had never crossed Tina and her husband, Jarrod’s mind but after travelling through Germany for 12 months and returning to Altona, a life changing opportunity arose for the couple to embark in the food scene of the West; a rapidly growing industry where there has been a burst of talent of late.
The couple who have been teenage sweethearts since age 18 and have three teenage children, have since owned two highly successful businesses in Pier Street, Altona. Melissa’s is renowned for home cooked, relaxed café style food and Mosaic, a restaurant featuring Mediterranean cuisine with a modern Australian influence.
Now with years of expertise and a following of loyal customers supporting them, Tina and Jarrod have teamed up with Russell Cocks in opening up a café, “Brunch On Ferguson” which is set along the seaside maritime town of Williamstown at 88 Ferguson Street. The heritage building façade gives in to a fresh, contemporary interior which regains a bit of old world charm with wooden chairs and dim lighting to create an intimate setting amongst the diners who flow in and out of this architecturally designed café.
The feedback from locals who are fast becoming hooked on the quality coffee and menu featuring a variety of food is bound to be brilliant as this café offers everything from home baked goods, an extensive breakfast menu and fresh salads, pasta, souvlakis, quiches…the list is endless.
Tina held her breath when it was time to open the doors two weeks ago, “There’s just so much excitement and wonderment about how it will go and even though I am working 80 hour weeks, I truly have never been happier. The feedback has been so positive,” she said.
A main feature of the café according to Jarrod who Tina labels as “a coffee fanatic,” “Is to enable visitors to bypass the long waiting process for coffee which too regularly happens at cafes. We have designed a side door for the purpose so that customers can flow straight in and out rather than wait around for their coffee,” he explained.
Building a high reputation, delivering consistently quality food and customer service is what it all boils down to for Tina. “Each morning I wake up and genuinely look forward to coming into work because it’s the relationships which I build with customers that makes my job so worthwhile,” she smiled.
