Montville brews up warmth and friendship in a COVID-19 landscape

Shali’s Cafe owner Shalini Carnevale and her mother Sheila Carnevale, 81, who has helped her daughter every day for the past 20 years ... “When restrictions hit, it was pretty grim for the first four weeks.”

Montville’s community spirit provided inspiration through the tourist town’s dark days of COVID lockdown, according to locals. 

“Montville has a very small residential population but they have been out in force supporting their local shops,” said Montville Chamber of Commerce Secretary Shiralee Cooper. “The locals — I could just hug them — them and the coffee shop owners.”

Ms Cooper said coffee shops, in particular, had provided an amazing connection to normalcy for people. “I think it was very good for people to be able to have their morning coffee,” she said. “Having those few shops staying open through COVID has been wonderful. We’re so impressed that people have kept their businesses running and shown the resilience to be there for the rest of the community.” 

Mountain Bean Cafe owner Wayne Bluck faced a particularly rugged climb.  

The rookie brewer took on his business just as COVID struck and watched the normally steady tourism trade drop to near nothing. “I’m so grateful for all the local support,” he said. “It has really helped get us through the restrictions. We would have really struggled without it. Like so many businesses in Montville we welcome the relaxations. The relaxations and the support from locals has put a more positive outlook on business.  

“They call this little area the Village Square and it really is a meeting place, with the newsagent, the chemist and the IGA ... this is where the people come in the morning and it’s nice to be able to provide the essentials.”

Ms Cooper said she took her hat off to businesses like Little May Espresso who kept the coffee brewing.  

“By having businesses like that stay open and keep the lights on ... it helped people realise that Montville was still open for business. The fact that Hannah and Rich Hayes (from Little May Espresso) were there every day was comforting and you always got an encouraging story or a word of inspiration from them whenever you visited. It really helps keep people going and I don’t think business people sometimes realise the benefits they bring.”

Shali’s Cafe owner Shalini Carnevale said visitors were thankfully returning in numbers to Montville, especially on weekends, but it had been dire for a while.

“When restrictions hit, it was pretty grim for the first four weeks,” she said. “It was just Mum and I working the shop. So it was very quiet. I took a photo of the main street one Sunday morning, when it would normally be pumping, and there wasn’t a car in site ... not driving or even parked. 

“We’re very grateful and thankful for everyone who came out and supported our little business. It’s certainly helped see us through the hard times.”