A West Footscray cafe run by a mother and son duo has won a Western United partnership valued at $50,000 for the 2021-22 A-League season.
Lee, who runs Dodo’s Delights with mum Ronda, said he was excited to win the promotion but was a little bit surprised at first when his cafe made the top three.
“In talking to the club it was clear they wanted a good local business and so I now feel excited but also proud that the work that we’re doing with the local community is kind of being recognised in this way.”
With the cafe only having been opened for a year, Lee said the pandemic has meant the business hasn’t seen as much growth as they would have liked.
Lee said The Top Corner promotion has come at a really good time, and will allow the cafe to expand and open up on a larger scale.
“We plan to upgrade the kitchen and upgrade our dine-in spaces to become a bigger cafe with a fuller menu,” he said.
The pair started off selling homemade jams and relishes at farmers markets, and even though they have moved to selling their homemade products on a larger scale, their focus is still on doing the simple things well.
“We don’t have probably the fanciest menu but …. probably the best way to describe the menu is homely and nostalgic.”
The cafe has recently opened up a new outdoor space, with a sand pit for children and easy outdoor access for dogs.
“That’s something that we’re really excited to have over the summer,” Lee said.
Molly Magennis
