Sam

Sam walked through the doors of Victor Rose during the opening week. Fresh off the nearby lawn bowling pitch around the corner, he still comes in almost every day for an iced latte and has plenty of time to speak to any number of strangers who are lucky enough to be seated near him.

As a retired music teacher, it’s pretty clear he misses his students - just ask him!

Have you seen any changes to the community and the people who come into Victor Rose since we opened almost a decade ago?
I have - maybe not so much in the people themselves, but definitely in how they interact. Since remote work has really kicked off, it’s become a bit less easy to strike up a conversation. But I still do. And most people are actually really into chatting - it’s like they’re surprised that humans can be friendly!

What kinds of things do you talk about?
Oh, anything - politics, music, books. Rarely about coffee, funny enough. The same kinds of things I used to speak with my students about. You have to know what’s happening in the world around you in order to make meaningful music.