cape café opens at Mont Albert Village Plaza

The cape café, operating from the heritage Mont Albert Station building, was officially opened by Whitehorse Mayor Cr Kirsten Langford and Bethany Newman, COO of cape group Australia, on 12th March.

The social enterprise café, serving coffee and baked goods, aims to create meaningful employment and training opportunities for young people with disabilities while providing a relaxed, inclusive space for locals to meet, work or unwind. The building also includes a new accessible public toilet and opens out onto the plaza, helping strengthen the connection between the station area and the Hamilton Street shopping precinct.

The café project, led by Whitehorse council, is the culmination of efforts by local residents, business and advocacy groups to save the 120-year-old heritage building and make it the focal point of a public open space hub, attracting new activity and visitation to Hamilton Street shops.