A Sydney restauranteur who previously said the ‘gay community’ was not welcome at his café has hit out at a planned boycott of his new venue, telling angry locals that ‘holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die’.
Mark Da Costa closed his Waterloo cafe Hale and Hearty after blowback from sexist and homophobic comments he made online.
After shutting the café he spent five years driving Ubers and, he said, reflecting on his past.
‘Those comments made by me were childish to say the least and opinions I do not hold today,’ he told the Sydney Morning Herald.
‘I don’t participate in political matters any more and will only concern myself with providing the locals and Sydney an eatery where they can feel like the food adds value to their own personal health goals.’
Now, Mr Da Costa is opening a new venture on King St at St Peters, with the ‘seed oil-free and whole foods’ venue aiming to open on March 19.
Sydney’s ‘progressive’ inner-west is not an area likely to tolerate people with a history of LGBT hostility, and some locals have already vowed to boycott the new eatery.
However Mr Da Costa is hoping the local community will forgive his ‘meltdown’ in 2020.
Café owner Mark Da Costa closed his café, Hale and Hearty, after making a slew of offensive online comments from his business’s account
His latest café rests in the old home of the much-loved Khamsa eatery in St Peter’s, as locals suggest they’ll boycott it
‘For those still holding a grudge, I leave these famous words to ponder,’ he told NewsWire.
‘Holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die’.
‘Forgiveness is a powerful tool bestowed only to those willing to fully live life to the fullest.’
Locals hit-out on a Newtown community Facebook page.
‘Surely this is a wind-up,’ one commented.
‘Newtown of all places.’
His new venture replaces a much-loved Palestinian eatery, the owners of which cited difficulties with their landlord before closing the café.
In 2020, Mr Da Costa earned the ire of many locals when he used his café’s Facebook page to leave derogatory comments about the LGBTQIA+ community.
The one-time Australian Idol contestant said he hopes the community doesn’t ‘hold a grudge’
He previously announced his café was a ‘Trump’ safe zone and asked a commenter on another post if they were a ‘p**f’
‘The leftist vegans aren’t welcome,’ he reportedly wrote on the cafe’s Facebook page.
‘The gay community who were quick to judge even though we supported them during the plebiscite aren’t welcome. We only want free thinking kind people who enjoy plant-based food and nothing else.’
He also asked another man in the comment section of a post: ‘are you a p**f?’
In a seperate post, Mr Da Costa wrote: ‘Today we announce that we are a (Donald Trump) safe zone. A place to discuss what’s in your heart without prejudice. Hold tight people, freedom of speech will be back’.
‘To all our past American friends and guests, stay strong,’ he wrote.
One commenter responded they were ‘underwhelmed’ by a post from the café.
Mr Da Costa replied: ‘Go f*** yourself you narrow minded p***. We are vegan. Not political and you are a loser’.
In a seperate resurfaced video, Mr Da Costa assured viewers he was ‘not going crazy’ and knew ‘exactly what he was doing’.
However, following the closure of his previous eatery, Mr Da Costa launched a fundraising campaign to reopen his café in 2023.
He set a crowdfunding target of $100,000 and reportedly raised just $200.
