Sad news that Danks Street Depot is to close, and interesting to note the reasons given by co-owner Jared Ingersoll for the decision:
“The environment is much more demanding than when we opened 11 years ago. Compliancy costs have gone up, running costs have gone crazy, and there is much more competition than there used to be. The carbon tax means it costs me seven times what it did to gas my fridges,” Ingersoll says..
Danks Street Depot was at the pointy end of the vanguard movement that turned Waterloo into an inner-urban yuppie paradise. Safe bet that 95 per cent of the restaurant’s very trendy cashed-up greenie patrons thought the carbon tax a swell ideal when it came into force. Whoops.
UPDATE: When it came to trading on greenie principles, Ingersoll certainly talked the talk: “Founded on the principles of the Slow Food movement, Danks Street Depot, vibrant café and bar, continues to showcase sustainable and ethical principles; championing local producers, seasonal produce and low food miles where possible.”
Ultimately, though, the only “eco” that matters is “economics”.
Prick With A Fork 
Not only is the food slow – they’re also slow to get out of bed. 0800 start 6 days a week, 0830 on Sunday. I rode over to Danks St every weekend over Christmas – it was never open when I got there for food and coffee. Every other cafe in the area was heaving with patrons. I watched it slowly open on a number of occasions (from cafes across the road). I never saw a customer go into the place.
If you read the comments on urbanspoon, the cost of refrigeration sounds like the least of their problems!
Sounds like a handy excuse?
This stuff makes me warm on the inside. Sometimes needing to do and not just seem catches up.
By the way, line 8 you need either “%” or “per cent”, but not both!
The cost of refrigerant gases is a total scandal. Ten years ago $3.50/kg. Now $175/Kg. One of the many not so visible imposts borne by the community in the name of fashionably green trojan horses. But for Dank St Depot the Carbon Tax was not main villain.
The money quote is “….there is much more competition than there used to be.”
We reg-gassed our building the week before the tax came in at a cost of $6000 and after the tax the cost was $22,000. Production costs etc all contribute all down the line. This was obviously not the only reason the business went under but the extra cost would have hurt. All places that have industrial refrigeration have to re-gas on an annual basis so someone has to pay. This tax is like cancer, it creeps in slowly. And what does it do for the environment? SFA. Does it lower the temperature? Yeah sure it does right?
I assume that the other cafes in the area don’t need refrigeration
Love your work bazza
Lovely, all the lefties having a go at Jared for telling the truth. He isn’t the first and won’t be the last to close their business because of this stupid do nothing tax. As i type another coal fired factory opens in China.
The carbon tax on refrigerant gases is slowly killing off many small businesses; a corner store needing to regas due to a major leak would be unable to afford to completely regas and remain in business, therefore more business for supermarkets. If you have noticed the increase in chilled foods at the supermarket over the last six months, thank (in part) the carbon tax tentacles.
Interesting to see Jared felt the need to clarify his comments.
“It seems that some people have either misunderstood or used the mention of Carbon Tax in relation to the closure of Danks Street Depot to push an agenda or to wrongly appropriate blame. I’m sorry if I was not clear enough.”
http://danksstreetdepot.com.au/article/clarity-on-the-carbon-tax-comment
We reg-gassed our building the week brefoe the tax came in at a cost of $6000 and after the tax the cost was $22,000. Production costs etc all contribute all down the line. This was obviously not the only reason the business went under but the extra cost would have hurt. All places that have industrial refrigeration have to re-gas on an annual basis so someone has to pay. This tax is like cancer, it creeps in slowly. And what does it do for the environment? SFA. Does it lower the temperature? Yeah sure it does right?
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