Drowning out COVID-19 with live music

For seven years, Jimmy The Saint has been providing warm service and exceptional coffee to Montague locals looking to step out of the office and into a time capsule. Tucked beneath an office building in Gladstone St, the café is decked out in old-fashioned decor—including faded wooden tables, stools made from old drums of Mansion Wax Polish, and a vintage petrol pump. Amid the retro interior is owner Dave Wright, who is always behind the counter making every single cup of coffee and greeting people by name. Dave and his wife bought the business in early 2013, back when the café was called Gasolina and had been operating for six months. But being a musician himself, he decided to give the café a more fitting title. “Jimmy the Saint is a character from a really early Springsteen song. And since my wife and I both worked in the music industry we obviously brought that influence with us,” he said. For the past few years the café has enjoyed regular business, with loyal customers coming in day after day to enjoy a cooked breakfast. “It’s always been a really good, regular business which allowed us to be a single income family,” Dave said. “We’ve always stuck to basics, offering wraps, simple burgers, American style sandwiches, salads and a unique coffee blend from local, boutique coffee roaster STRADA.” But after crushing COVID-19 restrictions forced them to shut for 10 weeks, re-opening has not been without its challenges. “It’s disheartening to stand in a business you’ve owned for seven years and wait for customers to walk in,” he said. “Restrictions have cut business by about 60 per cent so you need a strong mental capacity to get through it and adapt.” Despite the difficulties, Dave is staying positive with the help of great staff that have stuck with him throughout the years and by adapting to the circumstances. “Everyone’s had to adapt during this time. I’ve noticed that by reducing our offer, wastage is really kept to a minimum and it’s reduced our overheads which makes a huge difference,” he said. From late June, Jimmy The Saint also started offering live concerts on Friday evenings, which include a dinner and show package limited to 15 people. “It’s been really well received and has sold out every night. Moving forward it’s something I’ll continue doing, especially while the live sector is in such a crisis and there’s nowhere for people to play,” Dave said. And after the success of the first show on June 26—which included local artist Charles Jenkins and Dave’s own band: Dave Wright and the Midnight Ramblers—Dave has been flooded with requests from other local bands looking to do shows. “It’s a great thing because it helps musos get gigs and provides boredom relief for people who would normally be going to see live bands,” he said. “We try to support local music and businesses as much as we can.” Jimmy The Saint is located at 15 Gladstone St, South Melbourne • For more visit: jimmythesaint.com.au and enjoy Dave’s music at: davewrightandthemidnightelectric.com/the-midnight-ramblers