Latest news with #RubyRule
News.com.au
06-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Today was wild': Cafe owner's infuriating find in kids play area
A young business owner was left exasperated after part of her cafe was 'trashed' by children while the parent sat outside on their phone. Ruby Rule opened her first cafe in 2021 at the age of 21. Now, she owns and runs three cafes in Queensland, with the hopes of soon opening a fourth At just 25 years old, she already has a lot of experience and understands what it takes to run multiple successful businesses. Ms Rule always wants to ensure the best experience possible for her customers, which is why when she opened the Bramble Bay General in Redcliffe she wanted to make it a welcoming space for families. Speaking to she said having a playroom inside the cafe was always part of the vision when opening the venue. It is located across from a popular playground and Ms Rule wanted to bounce off that and make her cafe a proper destination for families. 'The goal was to provide a space where parents could enjoy a coffee while their kids played safely in a calm environment,' she said. The business owner put a lot of effort into curating the space, filling the room with books, wooden toys, a play kitchen, a doll house and colouring table. So, when she entered the playroom during a recent busy rush to find it destroyed, she was at a loss for how to approach the situation. Ms Rule took to TikTok to share her predicament, asking at what point is it 'appropriate for me to remind parents that their children are not my responsibility and our cafe is not a daycare centre'. She added: 'I really believe in creating a safe welcoming space for both parents and kids. But when I tell you, today was wild.' Ms Rule explained a customer had come into the cafe with two kids and 'shooed' them into the playroom, before going outside and scrolling on his phone. 'These kids trashed the playroom. They pulled out each drawer, they pulled everything out of the cupboards, threw every toy everywhere, books off the shelves, board games scattered, snapped the pencils and poured pencil shavings all over the rugs, so badly that I had to pick it up and take it home to clean,' the business owner said. She made the discovery in the middle of a 'massive rush', meaning she had to take her attention away from helping at the counter to quickly tidy the room as she was worried the mess would reflect poorly on the cafe. There are already signs up outside the playroom reminding parents to watch their children and tidy the area before they leave. However, while most parents are considerate, there are still those that let their kids run rampant. In her video, Ms Rule asked if it was OK for her to post a friendly reminder to parents on their social media, or whether doing so would make them 'look like a bad cafe'. 'I really do want to keep offering this space and this service but only if everyone chips in a little bit. At this point, it feels like I have to hire another staff member just to look after the kids room,' she said. The video quickly gained over 900 comments, with the vast majority of people horrified at the father's negligence and telling Ms Rule she is within her rights to remind parents about the playroom rules. 'Totally OK to post! Some parents need a reality check,' one person said. Others branded the parent 'disrespectful' and 'entitled', with some even going as far as to say they should be charged a cleaning fee. However, there were those that thought posting a reminder to parents on social media was not a good idea. 'The majority of your customers are doing the right thing and will be turned off by the cafe calling everyone out. You should have addressed it directly with the parents,' one person said. There were others who agreed that, while leaving the room trashed was unacceptable, the cafe owner should have spoken to the parent directly. Ms Rule responded to one of these comments explaining that, by the time she realised what had happened to the playroom, the man had already left with his two children. Another person suggested the business owner could talk to the kids herself and encourage them to pick up after themselves with a 'clean up song'. However, the 25-year-old rightfully pointed out that she is too busy making coffee and doing her job to ensure someone else's children pick up after themselves. After sharing he video, a few of Ms Rule's staff revealed to her that this isn't the first time the playroom had been left in a mess, with similar incidents happening in the past that she had not been made aware of. 'It turns out this kind of thing has happened a lot more than I realised, but this time I witnessed it myself and decided we needed to finally say something,' she told In the end, she decided to post a gentle reminder to parents on the business' Instagram story, which was received in a very positive light from parents and fellow small business owners. 'Owning a cafe like this, we really try to go the extra mile to create something special for our community. Small business owners wear so many hats, we're doing the cleaning, the planning, the marketing, the prep,' she said. 'So when we put time and energy into a space that's genuinely thoughtful and welcoming, it means a lot to see that space respected. We'll always do our best to keep offering these experiences, but it does need to be a shared effort with our customers.'
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cafe owner hits back at Aussie's wild public holiday surcharge threat: 'Scum of the earth'
An Australian cafe owner has hit back against customers who criticised her for having a public holiday surcharge over Easter. Hospitality venues across the country have been slugging Aussies 5 to 20 per cent extra during this extended weekend, and it hasn't gone down well with some people. A poll of more than 4,000 Yahoo Finance readers found 38 per cent didn't think public holiday surcharges were acceptable. Ruby Rule runs three cafes in Brisbane and she said one customer called her the "scum of the earth" for having a surcharge, while another wanted to take out their frustration on her. "Someone left a charming comment, saying that they would throw their coffee at me if I tried to sting them with a 15 per cent surcharge," she said. Surcharge warning for Aussies over Easter, ANZAC public holidays: 'Necessary evil' ATO money moves to maximise 2025 tax return: 'Act now' Woolworths customer's secret to getting 'free money' every time she shops: 'Earned $1,400' "If you're pressed about paying 60 to 80 cents more on your coffee, then go ahead and throw it at me and make it a double shot." She said on Good Friday, one of her cafes was incredibly busy, another just about broke even, and her third lost money. Rule said she usually worked up to 13 hours during weekends like this, but she doesn't get penalty rates and pays herself what she added that charging a public holiday surcharge wasn't designed to be a money-grabbing scheme, but it goes a small way in keeping the lights on. "I'm still making less than a normal weekday," she said. "Imagine running a team covering wages, working the floor yourself, and then going home with less money than you started with, because that's what I'm dealing with." When she was open on Queensland's October public holiday last year, she brought in $4,705 across her three cafes, $719 of which came from the 15 per cent surcharge. The staff wages for that Monday public holiday alone were $3,500. On a normal day, wages for nine staff working 55 hours across three shops would be $1,800. 'This is to show that business owners do not add the surcharge so they can make more money. It's purely to try and offset some of that cost," she said. Dan Dick runs into similar problems for his Melbourne cafes during public holidays. "The award dictates that on public holidays, staff are entitled to double time," he told Yahoo Finance. "Essentially, the casual award goes from $30s to $60s an hour and any full-timer gets a day in lieu. So it's not feasible for businesses to absorb that." While she could have just closed her worst-performing cafe on a public holiday, Rule said it was important to show up for her customers every day. Dick added that closing during these big calendar events can have a huge impact on everyone. "What are you going to do on a day off when nothing's open because it's not profitable to run?" he asked. "I think everyone's just got to understand that it's the necessary cost of being able to visit your favourite venues on days that they're essentially running at a loss." Lightspeed managing director Nicole Buisson told Yahoo Finance surcharges typically ranged from around 10 to 15 per cent of the total bill. However, there was no 'one-size-fits-all' approach, with some venues charging diners as much as 20 per cent. There's no limit on the amount a business can charge for a public holiday surcharge, with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission only requiring businesses to clearly display the surcharge on their menu. Lightspeed's data found public holiday surcharges were most commonly charged in bars and pubs (39 per cent) and restaurants (37 per cent), followed closely by cafes (36 per cent) and bakeries (24 per cent). But one Aussie highlighted an interesting aspect of the surcharges that apply during Easter. While it's understandable to have surcharges on Good Friday as well as Easter Sunday and Monday, Phoebe Parsons was confused about paying extra on Easter Saturday. The ACT, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria recognise Easter Saturday as a public holiday, so some venues charged a public holiday surcharge on this day as well. But Parsons said it was "confusing" that cafe, restaurant and pub customers were charged extra on Easter Saturday, considering workers don't actually get a day off like they would if Christmas fell on a in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
$3,000 public holiday hit facing thousands of Aussies: ‘Costs us extra'
Millions of Aussies will face a public holiday surcharge if they decide to head to a cafe, restaurant or pub today. While the added cost, usually an extra 10 to 15 per cent, can seem steep amid the cost-of-living crisis, Aussie business owners say they are necessary for them to operate. Ruby Rule owns three cafes in Queensland and charges a 15 per cent public holiday surcharge. She told Yahoo Finance it cost her thousands of dollars more to open on a public holiday and the surcharge helped offset some, but not all, of the added cost. 'Opening on public holidays costs us around an extra $3,000, some of which is made back on the 15 per cent public holiday surcharge,' Rule, who owns Bramble Bay General, the Bone Yard Espresso and Boney's Deli, said. 'We charge this when we [me and my fiancé] are working too as we pay ourselves proper wages.' RELATED Cafe owner responds to Aussie's rant over costly public holiday trend: 'Why are we paying extra?' Centrelink warning over $1,321 cash boost now available for thousands: 'Can add up' ATO phone call warning as Aussies risk $1,650 tax penalty: 'Actively chasing' Hospitality staff are entitled to penalty rates when working on public holidays. This can be double their base wage. As Australia Day fell on a Sunday this year, it was considered a normal working day and holiday penalty rates were not payable. Public holiday entitlements, however, do apply to work performed today on Monday, January 27. On a recent public holiday, Rule calculated that she made $719 from the 15 per cent surcharge across her three cafes, which were operating on reduced hours. Wages for her nine staff worked out to $3,500 for the day, with them working a combined 55 hours of work. On a regular day, she said wages would have been closer to $1,800, which is a $1,700 difference. That means the surcharge didn't cover even the majority of the extra money that was paid in Dick, owner of Born and Raised Coffee and Nigel cafes in Melbourne, said businesses simply couldn't absorb the public holiday rates. 'Essentially, the casual award goes from $30s to $60s an hour and any full-timer gets a day in lieu. So it's not feasible for businesses to absorb that,' he told Yahoo Finance. "I think everyone's just got to understand that it's the necessary cost of being able to visit your favourite venues on days that they're essentially running at a loss.' Businesses are legally allowed to add surcharges on public holidays and weekends, but there are rules that apply. There is no limit on what the surcharge can be and businesses are free to set their own rates. Typically, you'll see venues charged between 10 and 15 per cent, but 20 per cent surcharges aren't uncommon. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) noted that businesses need to include information about the surcharge on the menu. 'Consumers should be made aware of any weekend and public holiday surcharges that may apply before they decide to order or purchase products from restaurants and cafes,' the ACCC said. 'If the menu does not list prices, information about these surcharges must be displayed in some other prominent way.' CreditorWatch's latest Business Risk Index found Aussie businesses would be facing an 'extremely challenging start to 2025', with the hospitality sector due to face the greatest pressure. The food and beverage industry leads rankings for the business failure rate, late payments, Australian Taxation Office (ATO) tax debt defaults over $100,000 and is ranked second for payment defaults. The average business failure and closure rate for all sectors is at its highest rate since 2020, currently at 5.1 per cent. This rate is expected to increase to 5.6 per cent over the next 12 months as businesses battle a combination of increased costs, higher interest rates, wage increases, skilled labour shortages, increased ATO enforcement activity and soft consumer in to access your portfolio
