Gus' feels the sting of the Silo laws as Health launches a crackdown

I’m glad they got done. I think that was one of the worst cafes I’ve ever been to. Their food was crap and their service was worse. I have no idea why people thought otherwise.

Gus’s underwent renovations a while back but for some reason never changed the furniture arrangements indoors, easily one of the least comfortable in Canberra. Staff who think talking to each other is a better use of their time than checking out customer tables to see if service is called for, bad coffee, but some of the regular menu is good enough (lentil burgers, leg ham on rye). Not enough to keep me coming back though.

My ex worked at Gus’s with the great man many years ago. Treated the girls appallingly, underpaid and cash in hand. The only reason he pushed for sidewalk tables was to get more customers and make more money. I’m sure he enjoyed the publicity and the support.

milkman said :

Diggety said :

Banning people from their choices is a last resort, in this case it not necessary.

If people were smart enough to make goood choices then we wouldn’t have a highly regulated society in the first place. There are reasons that there are lots of things that many people think are safe that are against the law.

The problem is that politicians and public servants are people as well. Their choices in policy, laws are as bad as people’s every day ability to make choices.

HenryBG said :

The good thing about Gus wasn’t his food or his coffee, it was the fact he refused to take s*** from brainless, unimaginative, rulebound government bureaucrats – he fought them and he won.

Before Gus, there wasn’t a single cafe in Canberra with outdoor tables on the pavement.

Not many people in this town have been as instrumental in effecting visible change as Gus was.

agreed, this was a great thing he did, but it is no reason to then go on and serve awful, over-priced fare at these outdoor seats and be a dick with it; and certainly no reason to not cop it sweet if the health inspectors find the facility not up to scratch…

TheDancingDjinn said :

Did the police know about it? because the ACT has this law (that i love personally) where a girl at the age of 16 can only have a partner 2 yrs older or 2 yrs younger – thats it!. Old men will get into trouble if the want to have a “relationship” ( i don’t think it should be refered to as a relationship if she is 16 and he was well over the age of 20) with a younger person who is under the age of 18 – and so they should dirty old codgers.

What is extraordinary is that the girl grew up to be very normal. She still lives in Canberra in an unpretentious inner-city house, and is married with kids. She definitely made a lot of money courtesy of Gus (she co-managed Gus’s with Gus for several years; she was wearing shoes at 16 that would cost more than $1,000 today, and European designer clothes). Interestingly, Gus dropped her! If you want a rather strong indicator as to Gus’s predelictions, he felt she was way too old for him by the time she was 19!

I-filed said :

TheDancingDjinn said :

SnapperJack said :

Stevian said :

c_c said :

SnapperJack said :

Not to mention his pedophile activities with under age girls

Um, can we get a source on this claim. I couldn’t find anything to back this up and that’s a very serious accusation.

If it’s true and verifiable, then I certainly hope they rip up that monument to him in the pavement near the cafe.

You’ll probably find that was an attempt at satire, and since the best satire is indistinguishable from reality, it seems to have succeeded

I note Stevian continuing his tradition of silly postings on RA.

When the issue of Gus was raised previously on RA, someone posted that Gus had maintained a sexual relationship with a then 13 year old girl who was close to her. When her parents went to the authorities they were told not to bother pursuing the case because “it is Gus and nobody will believe you”.

That’s all the proof I need.

Your proof is that someone typed it on the internet? – wow let’s hope noone posts that you did something bad to a child then huh – because that’s all the proof we’ll need…

Gus commenced a live-in relationship with a student – I think from St Claire’s – when she was very young, certainly in her mid teens. When I met her she had been living in Gus’s house in Braddon with him in a de facto relationship for several years. She was a very bright and pretty girl – I still cannot fathom what she saw in him! The police absolutely hated Gus, like, hated him. I don’t know the basis for that hatred, but a nasty character who is somehow “untouchable” might well be hated by everyday local police. Remember, Gus was very, very rich on the proceeds of exploiting and underpaying his staff.

Did the police know about it? because the ACT has this law (that i love personally) where a girl at the age of 16 can only have a partner 2 yrs older or 2 yrs younger – thats it!. Old men will get into trouble if the want to have a “relationship” ( i don’t think it should be refered to as a relationship if she is 16 and he was well over the age of 20) with a younger person who is under the age of 18 – and so they should dirty old codgers.

Yeah Jessica, I’m sure ACT Health just closes places down for very little reason at all. Also, if she was aware of these ‘minor wear and tear issues’, then why didn’t she do something to address them earlier, before ACT Health had to step in and make her fix them?

After the Silo Bakery fiasco – where the owner cried that they were being picked on by ACT Health for ‘minor’ issues, whilst a number of people were in hospital after consuming tainted product from Silo – I think ACT Health has decided that it was time for a crackdown. And not before time too!

I wonder how many other cafes, takeaways and restaurants around Canberra will be burning the midnight oil cleaning up their establishments this weekend, before they too join the list of shame????

TheDancingDjinn said :

SnapperJack said :

Stevian said :

c_c said :

SnapperJack said :

Not to mention his pedophile activities with under age girls

Um, can we get a source on this claim. I couldn’t find anything to back this up and that’s a very serious accusation.

If it’s true and verifiable, then I certainly hope they rip up that monument to him in the pavement near the cafe.

You’ll probably find that was an attempt at satire, and since the best satire is indistinguishable from reality, it seems to have succeeded

I note Stevian continuing his tradition of silly postings on RA.

When the issue of Gus was raised previously on RA, someone posted that Gus had maintained a sexual relationship with a then 13 year old girl who was close to her. When her parents went to the authorities they were told not to bother pursuing the case because “it is Gus and nobody will believe you”.

That’s all the proof I need.

Your proof is that someone typed it on the internet? – wow let’s hope noone posts that you did something bad to a child then huh – because that’s all the proof we’ll need…

Gus commenced a live-in relationship with a student – I think from St Claire’s – when she was very young, certainly in her mid teens. When I met her she had been living in Gus’s house in Braddon with him in a de facto relationship for several years. She was a very bright and pretty girl – I still cannot fathom what she saw in him! The police absolutely hated Gus, like, hated him. I don’t know the basis for that hatred, but a nasty character who is somehow “untouchable” might well be hated by everyday local police. Remember, Gus was very, very rich on the proceeds of exploiting and underpaying his staff.

I was just reading that on the ABC and I thought her response was embarrassing. I don’t think the authorities would close her down for something that’s simply useful feedback, there must be more to it than that, and as a professional in the food industry shouldn’t she be aware of things in her own business before the authorities need to point it out to her anyway? As usual I’d like more details from both sides though.

My Cafe owner is kicking up a fuss to the ABC:

“My Cafe manager Jessica Fryer says the closure notices are embarrassing.

“The sign says serious breaches of safety and we’re talking about basic wear and tear. We felt like it was some minor stuff and we were quite happy to close down the kitchen voluntarily for most of the afternoon and fix it,” she said.

“Now there’s this really horrible, embarrassing sign saying ‘we’re closed and we’re dangerous’, and we’re not.”

Ms Fryer says the eatery was not given a chance to address the safety concerns, receiving the inspection report only two hours before being closed down.

She says the closure is unfair.

“To have it drawn to our attention that maybe we could do things a bit better to keep things fresher – great, thanks for the feedback,” she said.

“But to be closed down because of rotten luck, that’s a bit unfair.””

What is it with these cafe owners? They always cry hard done by and unfair whenever they get caught out. Seem like a dangerous breed.

Fact is I’ve seen what happens at My Cafe in Manuka and would never eat their.

That fact that it took health authorities to point out problems that she didn’t see or chose to ignore herself only confirms the need to put a notice on the business and shut it down for a while. It’s not “rotten luck,” it’s the failure of her and her staff to maintain a safe environment.

In some other countries getting a low score on a food health and safety is not considered such a bad thing. In Singapore D = delicious A = average…. but then again i never really ate at Gus’s for food as it was expensive and didn’t look that great. Did like the peppermint hot choc in my uni days though.

SnapperJack said :

Stevian said :

c_c said :

SnapperJack said :

Not to mention his pedophile activities with under age girls

Um, can we get a source on this claim. I couldn’t find anything to back this up and that’s a very serious accusation.

If it’s true and verifiable, then I certainly hope they rip up that monument to him in the pavement near the cafe.

You’ll probably find that was an attempt at satire, and since the best satire is indistinguishable from reality, it seems to have succeeded

I note Stevian continuing his tradition of silly postings on RA.

When the issue of Gus was raised previously on RA, someone posted that Gus had maintained a sexual relationship with a then 13 year old girl who was close to her. When her parents went to the authorities they were told not to bother pursuing the case because “it is Gus and nobody will believe you”.

That’s all the proof I need.

Your proof is that someone typed it on the internet? – wow let’s hope noone posts that you did something bad to a child then huh – because that’s all the proof we’ll need…

Stevian said :

c_c said :

SnapperJack said :

Not to mention his pedophile activities with under age girls

Um, can we get a source on this claim. I couldn’t find anything to back this up and that’s a very serious accusation.

If it’s true and verifiable, then I certainly hope they rip up that monument to him in the pavement near the cafe.

You’ll probably find that was an attempt at satire, and since the best satire is indistinguishable from reality, it seems to have succeeded

I note Stevian continuing his tradition of silly postings on RA.

When the issue of Gus was raised previously on RA, someone posted that Gus had maintained a sexual relationship with a then 13 year old girl who was close to her. When her parents went to the authorities they were told not to bother pursuing the case because “it is Gus and nobody will believe you”.

That’s all the proof I need.

Totally OT, but worth noting what Radio National’s style guide has to say on the issue of apostrophes for names ending in S.

Apostrophe after ‘s’
Dickens’s, Burns’s … add apostrophe s to any name ending in s (or ce, as in Beatrice’s or x as in Marx’s). The same applies to names with a final silent s like Dubois’s or Illinois’s. A possible exception to the rule, to avoid out-of-control sibilance, might be the Smiths’ swimming pool.

So, no need to correct yourself for saying Gus’s after all.

c_c said :

SnapperJack said :

Not to mention his pedophile activities with under age girls

Um, can we get a source on this claim. I couldn’t find anything to back this up and that’s a very serious accusation.

If it’s true and verifiable, then I certainly hope they rip up that monument to him in the pavement near the cafe.

You’ll probably find that was an attempt at satire, and since the best satire is indistinguishable from reality, it seems to have succeeded

“Not to mention his pedophile activities with under age girls”

Wow, you wanna have some serious proof to start throwing around such things.

Was he convicted for such activities?

I’m surprised JB let this through, cause it could be a whole lot of legal hurt.

That’s a pretty nasty thing to say about someone if not true.

c_c said :

About time too. My Cafe in Manuka is absolutely no surprise, though what is surprising is that it was so popular. The dangerous practices there were very evident, guess people just don’t look close enough.

Gus too was plainly in a bad way. I recall a couple of reviews referring to stale food and have never heard anyone say something good about the coffee. Have read a few suggestions that the coffee machine hasn’t been cleaned since Gus was still around.

Can i get some info on the My Cafe thing? – i just know someone who has recently begun to work there – has it been shut before? or do you think it will be shut again? – the person i know working there isn’t the chef, but has been a cook before and i assume if she knew she would clean it lol – What’s the story morning glory ??

I just want to chip in here and say that having lived in Canberra my whole life, The Gus has featured in many of my fondest memories. Steve, Janice, Jimmy, Kirsten, Mikey, Tim, Pocahontas – the guys are what makes the place.

I have been on the other end of local regulatory bodies when I worked at the Gypsy Bar and I can say that in my experience their decisions are based on visible outcomes and rarely in the public interest.

Diggety said :

Banning people from their choices is a last resort, in this case it not necessary.

If people were smart enough to make goood choices then we wouldn’t have a highly regulated society in the first place. There are reasons that there are lots of things that many people think are safe that are against the law.

SnapperJack said :

Not to mention his pedophile activities with under age girls

Um, can we get a source on this claim. I couldn’t find anything to back this up and that’s a very serious accusation.

If it’s true and verifiable, then I certainly hope they rip up that monument to him in the pavement near the cafe.

screaming banshee said :

Diggety, the govt that shuts them down is also the govt that is forking over for healthcare.

Think of it as preventative healthcard. Besides if the business owner is too stupid to keep the place clean then they deserve to lose money. I mean it isn’t things like ‘oh we saw a fly fly in when the door was open now you have to close’, for them to be shut down its got to be pretty nasty or continuous neglect on behalf of the owner/staff.

screamingbanshee,

If coercion becomes the only tool of effective implementaion of making public health care economically acceptable, we need to get rid of tax payer funded health care.

The deprivation of individual choice between two parties is the most concerning in this case.

And don’t get me started on the negative feedback effects of hyper-sanitation being a perpetual bar raising exercise in preventative health.

Banning people from their choices is a last resort, in this case it not necessary.

Oh yeah, ’bout time!

HenryBG said :

The good thing about Gus wasn’t his food or his coffee, it was the fact he refused to take s*** from brainless, unimaginative, rulebound government bureaucrats – he fought them and he won.

Before Gus, there wasn’t a single cafe in Canberra with outdoor tables on the pavement.

Not many people in this town have been as instrumental in effecting visible change as Gus was.

Yes, it could have been a good 2-3 months more before Canberrans were swept up in the wave of outdoor eating had Gus not stood his (unhygenic) ground.

Diggety, the govt that shuts them down is also the govt that is forking over for healthcare. Think of it as preventative healthcard. Besides if the business owner is too stupid to keep the place clean then they deserve to lose money. I mean it isn’t things like ‘oh we saw a fly fly in when the door was open now you have to close’, for them to be shut down its got to be pretty nasty or continuous neglect on behalf of the owner/staff.

Pork Hunt said :

TheDancingDjinn said :

TheDancingDjinn said :

madamcholet said :

Interesting that two Canberra “institutions” have been caught in recent times! Never been there myself, but have heard people mention it as if it is the holy grail.

Same, every second person i knew had a love for Gus’s as if it were heaven – so i went one day. It was horrible!! – i don’t know why people thought it was great. Coffee was disgusting and the food worse – i didn’t finish either and had to pay an arm and a leg for it – never again! – glad i like the way i make my own coffee at home hehe

I added an extra s in”Gus’ ” there by accident – don’t get your grammer nazi knickers in a twist 😛

You spelled ‘grammar’ incorrectly…

hahaha i tried to correct myself and messed it up anyway – oh well 😛

The good thing about Gus wasn’t his food or his coffee, it was the fact he refused to take s*** from brainless, unimaginative, rulebound government bureaucrats – he fought them and he won.

Before Gus, there wasn’t a single cafe in Canberra with outdoor tables on the pavement.

Not many people in this town have been as instrumental in effecting visible change as Gus was.

I-filed said :

Dark rumours? Facts.
Gus used to bring his Alsatian dogs in to the arcade next to the cafe, and openly play with them in front of patrons, sticking his hands into their slavering mouths. Then he would walk straight into the kitchen and handle someone’s toasted sandwich.
I suspect he had an “arrangement” with the health inspectors, because the filth in that place would make your hair stand on end – e.g. the ice cream fridge had old goo 6 centimetres thick at the bottom. Some of the food was prepared in Gus’s domestic kitchen in Braddon and brought in in the back of his old van, slopping around in plastic buckets. Some of the “European specialty” food e.g. stews was from big oblong out-of-date tins – stamped with dates ten years old – the type you opened with a kind of winding key. I reckon he bought bulk loads of old army rations.
Gus was a piece of work!

Not to mention his pedophile activities with under age girls whilst at the same time displaying a Festival of Light poster in his cafe (“Moral pollution needs a solution”) and writing to The Canberra Times calling for the banning of X-rated videos. Also his letter in The Canberra Times in 1989 claiming that the Tianenmen Square massacre didn’t happen.

I don’t understand why Governments should be able to close down a business. Notice of revolting practice, blah blah blah, yeah sure.

Just put the notice up and let customers decide for themselves. It would do some regulars to build up their immune system with a few of Gus’ toenails in your Supergay Soy Latte.

I refer to that whole arcade of cafes (Gus’s, Essen, MyCafe, Milk & Honey etc.) as cockroach alley. The last time I was in M&H I spotted three of them running around on the floor under the tables, and had one crawl up the wall beside me in Essen.

TheDancingDjinn said :

TheDancingDjinn said :

madamcholet said :

Interesting that two Canberra “institutions” have been caught in recent times! Never been there myself, but have heard people mention it as if it is the holy grail.

Same, every second person i knew had a love for Gus’s as if it were heaven – so i went one day. It was horrible!! – i don’t know why people thought it was great. Coffee was disgusting and the food worse – i didn’t finish either and had to pay an arm and a leg for it – never again! – glad i like the way i make my own coffee at home hehe

I added an extra s in”Gus’ ” there by accident – don’t get your grammer nazi knickers in a twist 😛

You spelled ‘grammar’ incorrectly…

About time too. My Cafe in Manuka is absolutely no surprise, though what is surprising is that it was so popular. The dangerous practices there were very evident, guess people just don’t look close enough.

Gus too was plainly in a bad way. I recall a couple of reviews referring to stale food and have never heard anyone say something good about the coffee. Have read a few suggestions that the coffee machine hasn’t been cleaned since Gus was still around.

TheDancingDjinn said :

madamcholet said :

Interesting that two Canberra “institutions” have been caught in recent times! Never been there myself, but have heard people mention it as if it is the holy grail.

Same, every second person i knew had a love for Gus’s as if it were heaven – so i went one day. It was horrible!! – i don’t know why people thought it was great. Coffee was disgusting and the food worse – i didn’t finish either and had to pay an arm and a leg for it – never again! – glad i like the way i make my own coffee at home hehe

I added an extra s in”Gus’ ” there by accident – don’t get your grammer nazi knickers in a twist 😛

madamcholet said :

Interesting that two Canberra “institutions” have been caught in recent times! Never been there myself, but have heard people mention it as if it is the holy grail.

Same, every second person i knew had a love for Gus’s as if it were heaven – so i went one day. It was horrible!! – i don’t know why people thought it was great. Coffee was disgusting and the food worse – i didn’t finish either and had to pay an arm and a leg for it – never again! – glad i like the way i make my own coffee at home hehe

Dark rumours? Facts.
Gus used to bring his Alsatian dogs in to the arcade next to the cafe, and openly play with them in front of patrons, sticking his hands into their slavering mouths. Then he would walk straight into the kitchen and handle someone’s toasted sandwich.
I suspect he had an “arrangement” with the health inspectors, because the filth in that place would make your hair stand on end – e.g. the ice cream fridge had old goo 6 centimetres thick at the bottom. Some of the food was prepared in Gus’s domestic kitchen in Braddon and brought in in the back of his old van, slopping around in plastic buckets. Some of the “European specialty” food e.g. stews was from big oblong out-of-date tins – stamped with dates ten years old – the type you opened with a kind of winding key. I reckon he bought bulk loads of old army rations.
Gus was a piece of work!

Hey, isn’t Gus owned by the same morons who booted out the owners of All bar Nun and opened Duxton’s recently?

Luckily I only ever had coffee at Gus once about two years ago after my wife and I worked while looking over their menu that a couple of drinks [not that they had any good beers on offer] and burgers followed by two coffees would come to about $70. Happy to pay this and more at a good restaurant like Grazing (where they have Zeirholz on tap), but at a pathetic little cafe where the waiter walks around showing bum crack? Coffee was crap btw. Was our 1st and last visit.

YES! finally! I never understood why people continued to patron Gus’ .. I went there twice, the last time was when my meal got served with ‘additional’ animals .. (the critter variety). urk.

Interesting that two Canberra “institutions” have been caught in recent times! Never been there myself, but have heard people mention it as if it is the holy grail.