Son of Tucci Cafe Mount Waverley — Restaurant in Melbourne

I had a terrible experience at the end of December 2024. Prior to that, I had gone to Cafe Tucci for coffee and lunch for many years. Unfortunately, my opinion of this place changed because of that one awful experience that showed me that the establishment employs staff that fail to cater to individuals with disabilities, particularly those with autism.

During my visit on 31st December around 11:50 AM, one of the waitresses (short with short brown hair and she mentioned she was also working as a teacher), displayed aggressive and rude behaviour when I requested a simple accommodation: to be seated away from the tables that were very close together with lots of people. The reason for my request was because I was with my young daughter (7 years old), who has profound autism and refused to sit at the table we were assigned because of how close it was to people she did not know. As there were several tables near the front of the cafe and outside that were empty (that my daughter would have been okay sitting at), the waitress refused to seat us there despite those table not being reserved. Her refusal she said was based on those tables being able to seat 3 people and there was only 2 of us. I would normally accept such a refusal from a cafe, as I understand that they are a small business and it was approaching lunch time, but the way that this waitress spoke to us was shockingly aggressive and rude, causing my daughter to become upset and cry. This rude employee in question, rolled her eyes and smirked when I mentioned my daughter had autism. She just responded by saying “Whatever, go somewhere else then”

As I was leaving the cafe clearly upset by the encounter, another staff member (whom I assumed to be a manager) was notably professional. She was an asian woman in her late 30s or mid-40s and tried to handle the situation with empathy and understanding. Perhaps there are lessons to be learned from her approach. But unfortunately when I was trying to explain to your nice employee why I and my daughter were so upset, the terrible waitress ran over and started yelling loudly at me and my daughter.

It was a terrible customer experience and as a mother to a child with a disability, it takes a lot to phase me, but this type of behaviour and attitude needs to be called out. I strongly advise against anyone with autism or disabilities...

Tuesday morning at 10:05 AM, there were only 4 tables occupied in the entire restaurant. Before I sat down there was a middle aged staff member came over and bluntly said that I must finish and leave before 11 ,then turned around and walked away. I was shocked by how forceful her attitude was and I went to the counter to ask why, and this staff member simply threw me a menu and said, "That's the policy." I asked, “What if I can’t finish in an hour, or if the food comes out slowly or we go a bit over?” She just gave me a helpless look and said, “Still need to leave.” Well ! I’ve been here several times before and never encountered this kind of treatment. This is the first time I’ve experienced being rushed out like this by a staff member.

Friends, take note — if you want to enjoy a relaxed meal and chat with friends, this is not the place for you. This is a restaurant for people who want to eat fast and leave quickly.

First of all, when I entered and asked for a table for 3 , your manager indeed told me that there were 4 person tables but already reserved and i needed to be vacated by 11 . then I said I could sit at a small table, but she said that also needed to be vacated by 11. Then, before I had clearly agreed to sit down, she turned around and walked already . She didn’t explain that this was the restaurant's policy or provide any reason why dining time was limited to just one hour. She simply told me I had one hour and had to leave—nothing more. There was also no mention of being able to switch tables at beginning. Secondly, only after I went to the bar and asked your staff why only 1 hour allowed, that your manager gave me the menu and pointed out your restaurant’s policy. Only after she saw me take a photo of the menu and asking what happened if I didn’t finished in 1 hour and she slowly say that I could switch tables. So, let me ask: if there are other available tables and no customers waiting, why would I need to change tables? And if the place is full and I exceed the one-hour limit, does your manager intend to kick me out or have me stand and wait with my food for another table? Lastly, Your food is great, but the service attitude is...

☕️🏃‍♀️I finally made it to this local hotspot everyone's been about in Mount Waverley! 🔥 Let me tell you, it was PACKED! 👥👥👥 The smell of fresh coffee and delicious food had me drooling before I even sat down! 🤤

Barista Breakfast 🏆 ☕️ It's like a coffee heaven with Single Origin in 4 Ways Flat White 💖 Espresso: wake-up call ⏰ Filter: they even tell you the roast date 📅 Iced Batch Brew: Freshness in a glass

Black Garlic Prawn Pasta 🦐🍝 Fresh linguine with juicy prawns, spinach, cherry tomatoes, and that black garlic sauce (chef's kiss 😘👨‍🍳)

Shakshuka Eggs🍳🌶️ Middle Eastern flavors baked eggs with meatballs and feta

French Toast 🍞🍎 Dessert goals achieved! I love that poached apple with on thr fluffy egg toast with blueberry pearls✨

Thank you @son_of_tucci for having me @liva.media.pr for the arrangement 💌

#collab #coffeeaddict #mountwaverleycafe #melbourneoodie #internationalfoodiechat Back to one of my go to @son_of_tucci in Mount Waverley, they are still just as good as last time 💛 This time I tried their vegetarian dishes and they did not disappoint at all🥗

🥔 Sweet Potato Steak Hearty and full of texture 🤎 roasted sweet potato with ratatouille, toasted almond & pumpkin seeds

🫐 Blueberry Ricotta Hot Cake A true brunch treat!!!💙 Topped with poached pear, fresh fruits, puffed buckwheat, rose mixed berry compote, pistachio crumb, yuzu mascarpone & freeze dried raspberry

🥑 Smashed Trio Colourful& so healthy! Avocado, pumpkin and cauliflower smashed on multigrain with poached egg, so good with truffle olive oil

🍵 Matcha Latte

🥤 Rita Fresh Juice (beetroot, apple, lemon & ginger) ☕ Cappuccino

Such a good spot for vegetarian options 🌿

Thank you @son_of_tucci for...