By ANEEKA SIMONIS
A BUMMED out cafe owner in Upper Beaconsfield says she is tired of being grilled by the community who have launched another “discriminatory” attack on her controversial buns.
Sally, the owner of the Tradies and Ladies, says she is furious with the Upper Beaconsfield Community Centre who said they would only promote her business if she omitted her trademark logo, due to the conservative concerns of a committee member who shared the same first name.
“They called me and asked if I wanted to advertise in their newsletter and I said I would. I didn’t send the information through so they called me back again the following week to ask if I was still interested,” Sally said.
“The woman then said they had one request and that was that I didn’t advertise with the burger bottom. The request came from someone on the committee named Sally who preferred I didn’t use the logo.
“I said to her, ‘Do you realise the level of discrimination within that so-called request?’. This has nothing to do with the Sally woman; it’s my registered business name and logo.
“I just can’t believe two and a half years later, the community still thinks they can continually bully me about my sign which is completely legal. This is harassment and discrimination at its best.”
Sally said the community centre later told her she could advertise with her logo accompanied by the slogan, “Sally’s Big Ass Burgers,” but she has not received any confirmation her $50 advertising space has been secured.
The Pakenham Gazette contacted the Upper Beaconsfield Community Centre, but they refused to comment.
The cafe owner has had a toasting from the community who, in the past few months, have called in several authorities including Cardinia Shire Council and VicRoads to have the sign removed despite it being on private property.
VicRoads stepped in earlier this year and asked Sally to either remove the sign or apply for a council permit.
Council’s Manager Development and Compliance Services Brett Jackson said her application for ‘existing use rights’ for the sign was still being assessed.
Sally said her business had suffered due to a lack of support from the community.“They never come here and they never will.
“They just need to move on.”
