Jason Brooks has given the Rochester community just that, a way to get out and socialise — with social distancing measures in place, of course.
He has set up shop on the corner of Edward St and the highway in his caravan, serving coffee to anyone passing by or stopping in.
“I got permission from the council and the owner of the block to park my caravan here and serve hot drinks,” he said.
But the Rochy local has been passionate about the barista life for a few years now.
“I've always had a massive passion for it and we decided to purchase the caravan back in 2016,” he said.
“We took the van to the local footy and things like that, so people know our brand by now.”
Since being laid off from his job as an engineer for Qantas in Melbourne, Jason decided he wanted to keep himself busy this way.
“Well I haven't been overly busy lately, so I decided to do this to not only fill in a bit of time, but also give people somewhere to go when they're sick of being at home,” he said.
“The local support has been amazing.”
Since setting up on Tuesday morning, Jason has barely had a minute to think, but being flat out means he is doing what he loves and providing for people who love his product.
“It's such a fantastic idea,” Rochester Community House co-ordinator Amanda Logie said.
“It gives people a bit of normality back in their lives that the coronavirus has taken away.”
People pull up in their cars or even drop in while on their walks, some even scoot in on their bikes — all taking social distancing into account.
“We made sure everything is cleaned properly too, I think my hands have a permanent layer of sanitiser on them,” Jason laughed.
Mister Brooks is open from 7.30am until around 11am, Monday to Friday.
“I'm hoping to be here for another couple of weeks. I'll be here until I go back to work in Melbourne,” he said.
You can find Jason's business on Facebook and Instagram by searching for Mister Brooks Coffee/Bar.
Customers are also welcome to text orders to 0407 823 981.
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