By Lara Prust
Kyneton’s Super Sushi had customers lining up outside their doors for the first time in years over the long weekend.
Local resident Danni Gray had her eye on Super Sushi since it opened in 2013, thinking how “ballsy” it was to open a sushi store in a small regional town.
Four years later, it was hers.
“It’s my baby,” she says, and despite the struggles, long days and tediously early mornings, she loves her small business.
However, the past year has put that relationship to the test. With rising costs of goods, utilities, staff wages and living expenses, Ms Gray found herself and her business in a tough position.
She was torn between staying loyal to customers wanting reasonable food prices, her staff that relied on their income at the shop, and her own financial situation.
She hadn’t bought groceries for weeks, leaving her and her family eating their leftover sushi, while customer numbers began to drop.
When Ms Gray checked her bank account to be $3.18, she turned to social media as a final resort.
She crafted a vulnerable Facebook post explaining the situation, but said that the effort was more of a public statement regarding the business’ circumstances to her customers than anything else.
“What I did not expect was a line to be out the door when we opened at 10am the next day,” she said.
The post blew up overnight, and she found herself replying to comments and sending messages to members of the community with her daughter until 3am.
Within 12 hours, the shop was filled with customers from as far as Sunbury, Daylesford and Bendigo. The mayor paid a visit, alongside other small businesses and local schools looking to help in the form of lunch orders. Locals commended Ms Gray for being brave with her online vulnerability.
“There’s this image of running a small business, where everyone says ‘it’s so great’, but sometimes it’s just not,” she said, and went on to explain how that expectation can be frustrating and the experience can be overwhelming especially considering the current financial situation.
In times like these, the local community is a “lifeline” to her and her business.
“I’m so proud of the Macedon Ranges … this is how I always pictured this town and how I want to be to those who are struggling,” she said.
Following the online and in person support, Super Sushi has seen their customer numbers bounce back to where they used to be, and Ms Gray expressed her gratitude and thanks to all who came to back her.
“The support is beautiful, thank you so, so much,” she said.
