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Tinee

@thisistinee

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Chef|Operator|Melb

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Last Monday, I had the opportunity to be part of a panel at the Good Food Symposium, talking about how hospitality is changing and the challenges we are facing.

It made me realise something.

When you run a business every day, you don’t really think what you’re doing is anything special.

You solve problems.
You look after your team.
You deal with customers.
You worry about costs.
You make mistakes, fix them, and do it all again tomorrow.

But when I shared my experiences, I realised that something normal to me might actually be useful to someone else.

Maybe it helps another business owner feel less alone. Maybe it gives someone an idea, or a more realistic picture of hospitality before they step into it.

It also reminded me that business can’t only be about making money.

Of course, we need profit. We have rent, wages, suppliers and bills. But there is another kind of value too — what we create for the people around us.

Maybe you gave someone their first job. Maybe someone became a better chef or manager because of your business. Or maybe another owner learned something because you were willing to share your mistakes.

After more than 20 years in hospitality, I’m starting to understand that success isn’t only about what you build for yourself.

It’s also about what others can take from what you’ve built.

So here’s a question I’ve been thinking about:

If your business disappeared tomorrow, what would your community remember about it besides the food and the money? #hospitality #businessownerlife #melbournechef by @thisistinee

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20 days ago

🚨 CARROT CAKE MATCHA?! 🍵🥕💚

@torismelb created this limited-edition matcha just for the adidas Matcha Samba x Hype DC takeover!
@adidasau X @hypedc

🍵 Carrot Cake Matcha
👟 Exclusive Matcha Samba

⚠️ First 100 customers each day!
📅 5–6 Sept
📍 Hype DC QV

Save + send this to your matcha bestie! 👀💚
#matcha #food #foodie #melbourne #melbournefood taken in Hype DC by @thisistinee

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a month ago

What Makes Small Business Owners Lose Hope…. 🫠

Do you know what makes people feel like they can’t keep going?

For many small business owners, we have spent years … sometimes our whole lives .. building our skills, gaining experience and finally creating something we are proud of.

A café or restaurant is not just a place to make money. Of course, we need to make a profit to survive. But it is also a space we have created with purpose … 😌 a place where our team can learn and grow, where people from different backgrounds can find opportunities, and where customers can feel happy and welcome, even if they are only coming in for one cup of coffee.

What slowly breaks that spirit is when the same problems keep happening and small business owners feel they have to deal with them alone.

Instead of spending our energy thinking, How can I improve my business? How can I bring more customers in? How can I create something better? … we are thinking, Will someone break in again? Will someone steal from us? Will someone cause trouble? Will my staff be safe at work?

That is exhausting, especially for small independent businesses that don’t have unlimited money or resources to protect themselves.

But I still believe in Melbourne.
I still believe in hospitality, community and the good people who make this city what it is.

Small business owners don’t need sympathy … we need support, understanding and a little encouragement to keep going.

Because when you support a small business, you are not only supporting a shop. You are supporting someone’s dream, someone’s job, someone’s opportunity to learn, and a small part of the community we are all trying to build together. #hospitality #cafeowner #melbourne by @thisistinee

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a month ago

POV: I randomly walked into Tori’s today and had NO IDEA it was A Very Laufey Day 😭💙💚

For TODAY ONLY, Tori’s Exhibition is serving limited-edition Laufey-inspired treats 🎶🌙

💚 Rhapsody in Green — roasted Earl Grey oat milk, matcha foam + matcha sea salt
💙 Rhapsody in Blue — cold vanilla cream oat, double ristretto + blue spirulina cream
🍓 Lauver’s Bun — matcha pan bagel with strawberry cream cheese + fresh strawberries

The cutest little surprise for a Sunday. 🥹

Laufey fans… RUN, because it’s only here today! 🏃‍♀️💨

📍 Tori’s Exhibition, Melbourne

Tag your Laufey bestie who needs to see this ASAP 👇

[Paid Visit]

#Laufey #AVeryLaufeyDay #Toris #MelbourneEats #food taken in Tori’s Exhibition by @thisistinee

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a month ago

5 Things I Value as a Business Owner

1. A reliable team > Good attitude, responsibility and teamwork matter more than perfection.
2. A safe workplace > Staff, customers and business owners deserve to feel safe.
3. Healthy numbers > Being busy means nothing if the business isn’t sustainable.
4. Consistency & good systems > Good food, good service and simple systems keep the business strong.
5. Quality of life > A successful business shouldn’t take over your entire life.

We’re not asking for much. We still wake up and go to work every day, pay our bills, employ people and take responsibility for what we do. All we’re asking for is to feel safe running a business, going to work and living in this city. That should be a basic expectation, not a luxury. #hospitalitylife #cafeowner #melbournecafe taken in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by @thisistinee

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2 months ago

I’m just a working person.

I’m a chef and a small business owner. I still drive around delivering things to my shops, work in my own kitchen, cook, prep and bake. I’m still someone who puts on an apron and gets my hands dirty every day.

I’ve shared about my businesses being broken into and robbed 🫠 not because I want attention or want to be famous. Anyone who has followed me for a while knows that most of what I share is about hospitality, hard work, what I’ve learned and hopefully inspiring others along the way.

But when your business gets broken into again and again, you have to ask: Is this really how we want to live in Melbourne?

There are so many people who wake up every morning, go to work, pay their bills, employ people and simply try to do the right thing. We deserve to feel safe. Our staff deserve to feel safe coming to work, and our customers deserve to feel safe too.

I still love being a chef. I still love creating, building my team and sharing what I’ve learned with the next generation. And I’ll keep going.

I want Melbourne to be a safe place for everyone 🥺a city where people can work, live and build their future without fear. #cheflife #restaurantowner #melbourne #kitchenlife🔪 #melbournechef taken in The Midday Workspace by @thisistinee

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2 months ago

Melbourne, are we really going to live like this?

I’m just a small business owner trying to make an honest living. Like so many others, we work hard, create jobs, support our community, pay our bills, and keep going even when the cost of running a business keeps getting higher.

But in the past 3–4 years, our businesses have been broken into more than six or seven times.

We’ve had windows smashed, doors forced open, things stolen. We’ve had calls in the middle of the night telling us that another one of our shops has been broken into.

And every time it happens, we pick ourselves up, repair the damage, improve security, add more cameras, spend more money and hope it doesn’t happen again.

But how many times are small business owners expected to do this?

I understand the police can only do so much. I understand crime is a complicated issue. But surely the answer cannot simply be that business owners have to accept this as part of living and doing business in Melbourne.

People sometimes say, “You should have better security,” or “You should have done more to protect your shop.”

But why should the responsibility always fall on the victim?

Why should hardworking people have to go to bed wondering if the next phone call at 3am will be someone telling them their shop has been broken into again?

We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking to feel safe. We are asking for accountability. We are asking for something to change.

Small businesses already carry so much — rising costs, rent, wages, bills and the responsibility of keeping people employed. We shouldn’t also have to live with the constant fear that someone can simply smash their way into everything we have worked so hard to build.

I love Melbourne. I’ve built my life and my businesses here, and I still believe in this city.

But something needs to change.

Because accepting this as “normal” should never be the answer. #restaurantowner #hospitalitylife #cafeowner #melbournechef taken in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by @thisistinee

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2 months ago

🚨 CHEESE… in coffee?! I honestly thought this was going to be weird. 🤯☕🧀

I finally tried The Bruno at @middaymelb , and it completely surprised me.

Freshly grated real Norwegian brown cheese melts into bright citrus coffee and silky vanilla cream soy, creating a flavour that’s unlike anything I’ve had before.

The weirdest part? The first sip tasted bright and citrusy, but by the last sip it had turned rich, buttery, and almost caramel-like. It honestly felt like I was drinking two completely different coffees in one cup.

And while you’re there, don’t skip the bagels. They’re unbelievably soft, with both savoury and sweet options, plus plenty of fresh pastries to choose from. 🥯✨

Was it just me… or did the flavour completely change from the first sip to the last? Try it for yourself and let me know in the comments! 👇

Thank you to @middaymelb and @nahm_ratcha for having us [invited] 🫶💌

#MelbourneEats #MelbourneCafe #coffee #food #foodie taken in The Midday Workspace by @thisistinee

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2 months ago

People are already lining up for Tori’s newest drop 👀

Meet Butter Tteok — crispy on the outside, soft, chewy and bouncy on the inside 🤤

New flavour just landed: Earl Grey Chocolate 🍫☕️

Fresh batches at 11AM & 2PM daily — don’t sleep on this one.

Thank you @torismelb for the invitation 💌🫶 [invited]

#food #buttertteok #koreanbakery #melbournefood taken in Tori’s by @thisistinee

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5 months ago

The bagel collection.

This new concept focuses on the bakery side — artisan breads, bagels, pretzels, and slow-fermented sourdough, crafted in small batches with a refined touch

#melbournebaker #melbournebakery #torisbakehouse taken in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by @thisistinee

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6 months ago

Swedish cardamom buns
with pistachio, orange peel 🍊

available at Tori’s Exhibition
124 Exhibition st
weekday 9-5

follow our bread journey. @torisbakehouse taken in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by @thisistinee

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6 months ago

Great event, Thanks for having me 🫶

@melbfoodandwine @cakepicnictour @torismelb #melbfoodandwine #cakepicnictour #torismelb taken in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by @thisistinee

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6 months ago