Since its establishment in 2010, Tribute 94 has effectively solidified its place in Mildura’s coffee scene and has fast become an intrinsic part of Sunraysia’s cafe culture. Last week Vicki Karallis, founder and proprietor of Tribute 94, celebrated the nine years since opening the doors. With the shop now up for sale and Vicki ready to now start a new chapter, she sat down with Danielle Wilcock to discuss her business journey, one that she has shared with her family and more poignantly her late husband George. Pictures: Ben Gross
IN 2010, Tribute 94’s Langtree Mall location was arguably no where near as desirable as it is today.
Vicki explains that there were some reservations about the locality of the property.
“Back then, it was a quiet area and there were many shops that were vacant,” she says.
“We were concerned about the location and whether a cafe would work there.
“It was a big commitment for our entire family but we always trusted George’s opinion. He always had good business sense.”
Vicki talks about her husband with such pride and adoration, it’s easy to understand why she relied so heavily upon his better judgment. Despite their reservations and the questionable risk of opening any new business, the family opened the doors on September 21, 2010.
“When you first open a business people don’t know you, but we all worked really hard,” she says.
“We treat our customers like family. Most of them come in the shop and feel comfortable, they come up to you and they give you a hug.
“People give us things, gifts that we don’t expect and they say ‘it’s because we feel like a family, we love coming in here’.”
The shop quickly went from strength to strength.
“We serve fresh homemade food daily and I take pride in the food we make for our customers,” she says.
“Like our family, our staff also care a lot about their service. It’s important to provide a friendly atmosphere for customers when they come in the door.
“We all have our days but we always come together and get along, we have that family feel and open communication.”
The friendly, welcoming atmosphere, the delicious homemade cakes and pastries, the affable nature of the staff are all widely acknowledged reasons to visit Tribute 94. But their success can also be attributed to the coffee they serve.
Vicki explains how it was her eldest son Stratos, who really fought to develop their own coffee blend.
“Strat really wanted us to have our own blend,” she says. “He would come home and make us try coffee after coffee until we got the one we really thought was perfect.
“By the end we were sick of coffee, but it really paid off as it’s very popular. Lots of people buy bags of beans for personal use.”
After nine years in the business, it’s safe to say that Vicki has witnessed some changes emerge, with regards to customers but especially with coffee trends.
“The different types of coffee that customers want now has changed so much, even cappuccinos are different to what they used to be,” she says.
“George used to make the best cappuccino, with lots of froth.
“People now no longer want simple milk, it’s all about coconut, almond, soy, lactose free.
“I also notice a lot more school children coming in now before and after school. When I was a child I never thought about coffee, let alone at school times.”
When asked about her time before Tribute 94, Vicki explains how she and her husband had several other business ventures, starting with a milk bar they owned on Eighth Street.
“I was on holiday with the kids in Melbourne at the time he told me he had bought a business,” Vicki recalls.
“It was good, as back then supermarkets weren’t open as late. So we did well.”
Their next venture was a huge learning curve for Vicki and the family.
Located in Langtree Mall, Vicki’s Place was a bustling little shop and food kiosk, that served as the stepping stone to their involvement in the hospitality industry.
“We were a busy little kiosk and we served coffee and fresh food,” she says.
“Vicki’s Place helped prepare me a little for when we opened Tribute 94, or Cafe Ninety4 as it was known then.”
In between times, they also owned the Souvlaki Inn on Langtree Mall for five and a half years.
The long hours and late nights took their toll on the family but none the less they all stuck together and worked as one.
“George’s gut feeling about business and his ideas, we always trusted and they always seemed to work out,” she says.
“George was all about his family. Everything he did was for his children and his grandchildren who he loved more than anything else in this world.”
All five of George and Vicki’s children; Paris, Stratos, Phillip, Dimitri and Argiro have been exposed to the complexities of running a family business.
They’ve also witnessed their parents immense work ethic and determination when it came to providing a better life for their family.
“Anything and everything we did has been for our children,” Vicki says.
As with all families, there have been trials and tribulations that they’ve had to face, not least the sudden and tragic loss of George, the family patriarch in 2014.
Despite the uncertainty and angst after George’s passing, the family’s collective positivity and work ethic has been truly remarkable.
“I worried about running the business without George and how we would manage,” Vicki says. “Without the children we wouldn’t have been able to do what we have achieved. We were always a team.”
Vicki talks with immense gratitude for all her children for how they rallied around her and each other after her husband’s passing but Strat, as the eldest son, had a pivotal role in maintaining the shop.
“After George’s passing Strat really stepped up and took his dad’s place, he stepped into his dad’s shoes,” she says.
Vicki says the community’s response to George’s passing impacted upon her and helped in her grief.
“The generosity surprised me, the flowers that were outside the shop and the cards. I would get them for months after George’s passing,” she says. “It was very comforting to see how well liked and respected my husband was and our family.
“Some days were really really hard, but the customers and the staff they pull you through and help you face the day.”
The past five years have been difficult for the entire family, but especially for Vicki.
Vicki explains how George wanted to eventually get out of the industry and lead far less stressful lives. Making the hard decision to embark on a new chapter and put the shop up for sale, is perhaps a way to honour his wishes.
“We continued the shop after George to make him proud, and we all worked hard for him,” Vicki says.
“I’m proud of what we have achieved, and I think George would be too.”
When Vicki is asked to reflect on her family’s achievements and identify the most rewarding thing about owning their business’ she talks very humbly.
“When I see an empty plate I’m happy, then the customers come back time and time again that makes me proud of what we do,” she says.
“We established all our businesses from almost nothing with no experience. This makes me very proud of my family and especially George.”
For those who know Vicki and the food she has been providing for her customers over the years, it’s remarkable to learn that she never knew how to cook.
“I got married at 16 nearly 17 and I didn’t know how to cook,” she recalls.
“Thinking back, growing up I never ever would have thought I’d be able to do something like this and do what we have done.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be able to do what I am doing now, I didn’t know how to make a slice. But I taught myself.
“When I first got married, I remember making bread for George.
“He would never complain, but the bread was so hard if you would have thrown it at the wall it would have made a hole.
“He said to me, ‘this is beautiful, you need to make it again’.”
Despite the struggles that Vicki has encountered over the years, she remains optimistic about the future and what it holds for her family.
In continuing to make George proud and honour his lasting wish, they are all now ready to embark on a new chapter.
