Doc’s Coffee House has sadly closed up shop in George Street and filed for bankruptcy after a series of relocations saw it go from a profitable business to “essentially drowning.” Critic spoke with Doc’s owner/ operator Phil McDonald about the future of the café, which is looking to return in mobile form within the month.
It is hoped that the affectionately named “Doc’s in a box” will transform into a mobile coffee cart business. McDonald declared himself “90 per cent certain” that the transformation would happen in the next month, and that only a few details still needed to be finalised between the business partners involved.
Doc’s had previously been based at the garage in the OUSA Recreation Centre building, but relocated to Albany Street after the lease expired and OUSA only offered a periodic lease. McDonald said it was “heart-breaking” to see the site still empty after 15 months. When asked what he thought about rumours that OUSA may be about to reinstall a café, McDonald wished them luck.
Little remains of Doc’s after McDonald took to Facebook and sold the contents of the store – from coffee cups and tea pots to the one-of-a-kind dragonfly-embellished stone that held down the Doc’s sign – to willing buyers. McDonald appears excited about the prospect of returning the business to its former glory, and depending on the success of the mobile unit may look at adding additional units. His long-term goal is to establish a Doc’s Roastery.
What’s Up, Doc? Not Much
