Botanic Café lease

Published on 10 October 2019

Botanic Café lease

Colac Otway Shire Council has been advised by genU that it will continue operating the Botanic Café over summer after its decision not to renew a long-term lease.

Development and Community Services General Manager Ian Seuren said Council had positive discussions with genU and was pleased that negotiations had resulted in genU continuing to operate the café.

“Council has been very happy with the relationship with genU and the service they have provided to the community; we thought the extension of trading hours to open the café over the weekend was a great improvement to the business.

“The café has provided a service and employment to the community of Colac Otway for over 20 years, so we understand how disappointed the community was when genU announced it would not renew the lease.

“Council was advised last month of genU’s plans not to renew the lease and we have started preparing an Expression of Interest to go out to the public to seek social enterprises or commercial operators to continue operating a café or restaurant.

“Council and genU are negotiating an arrangement which would see genU continue operations over summer while Council conducts an Expression of Interest process.

“We have been assured that if genU ceases operating the café, supported employees who work at the café will be offered re-employment in other parts of genU’s business such as Kui Nursery and Otway Kitchen.”