New beginnings for Ample Cafe & Bar on Arden St 

After 11 years on Howard St, the much-loved Ample Cafe & Bar has begun a new chapter on Arden St, bringing the same warm, welcoming service that locals have come to know and love.

Family-owned and -operated, Ample Cafe & Bar is run by sibling duo Matt Elias and Marcelle Ibrahim, who serve delicious coffee and brunch favourites six days a week. 

With a focus on creating a space where customers “feel like they’re coming into our house as opposed to a business”, Ample is a true neighbourhood gem.

“Coming from a Lebanese background, that culture has kind of passed on through our business – the beauty of that being that repeat customers have become more like friends and family rather than paying customers,” Matt said.

While the cafe’s previous iteration on Howard St closed due to the sale of the building and a change in lease terms, the Ample spirit has lived on in its new home at 31 Arden St, just around the corner. 

“We renovated the whole building, including our kitchen, a beautiful new bench space and our meeting rooms,” Matt told North West City News.

“We’ve tried to keep things as consistent as possible between the two locations. We built a good following at the previous location with more focus on the business crowd, however this is more of a locals' area so we’re trying to get in touch with them now.”

Ample continues to offer a mouthwatering selection of toasties, burgers, salads, and other brunch and lunch favourites. 

Whether you're grabbing a quick bite or catching up with friends, it’s the perfect spot for a laid-back meal.

Being so close to Queen Vic Market, we’re big on making sure that we have the best produce. We’ve also got some really experienced chefs working for us who strive to make as much in house as possible, so we’re quite proud of that. 

With the cafe’s close proximity to major city hospitals, Matt and Marcelle are also eager to “give back to the community”. 

They plan to offer special coffee discounts for essential workers, a gesture they hope will support those who serve the neighbourhood.

A beloved feature of the previous Errol St space, Ample’s new spot also offers meeting rooms available for public bookings, and for private events, too, once their liquor licence is approved.

“North Melbourne used to be a very different place, but I think there’s been a massive change over the last 15 years and it’s more of family suburb now. Even with the Queensberry Cup a few weeks ago, seeing everyone around was fantastic, ” Matt said.

“We’re proud to call ourselves apart of this community, everyone’s always so welcoming – we absolutely love it here.” •