Successful businesses often know it’s the little things that can make (or break) a customer’s feeling of satisfaction. Making it easier for all different sorts of customers to access your business, browse goods and services, and purchase what they want, is all part of a foundation for customer retention and loyalty.
Let’s shine a spotlight on several Mornington Peninsula businesses delivering innovation and excellence through their focus on community, customer and staff access and inclusion.
ItsaBurger in Rosebud showcases how businesses can cater to all customers. The venue has wide doorways and is step free to enable ease of access for wheelchair users, pram pushers’ and wheelie walkers. They offer a disabled toilet and have created room between the tables so customers and staff can move freely.
Noise levels have been reduced and pictorial menus on the ordering app allow customers with hearing and vision impairments to be catered for. Signs are bright, bold, and in font large enough to read without glasses, and the business also has an accessible part of the service counter so that people in wheelchairs can comfortably converse with staff.
ItsaBurger has documented policies for their team to follow to ensure inclusiveness is a part of the everyday customer service experience. They are proactive in maintaining a culture of treating all people with respect.
For them, inclusivity is not only about the customer. They also work with young teens experiencing depression and anxiety, and two of their staff members have disabilities, so they work with the NDIS to improve skills and help these people grow. Additionally, they support and promote the LBGQTI+ community. Yes, here is a business ‘walking the walk’.
Additionally, 20c from every cup of coffee brewed and every kilo of coffee roasted is donated to The Cup That Counts, a charity founded by the Commonfolk Coffee Co. As their website states: “Our mission is to support projects that invest in the vulnerable who rely on the coffee trade for their livelihood, which may be unskilled hospitality workers in Australia or small farmers in Uganda.”
There is even equal access for furry friends, with a dog-friendly back courtyard.
The local food industry serves thousands of residents and visitors every day. Mornington Peninsula Shire Best Bites program ensures safe and healthy food is sold, while strengthening the local economy and supporting the commitment to inclusivity and carbon neutral principles.
This continues to be the Council’s pledge to develop and recognise excellence in local businesses through education and inspiration, celebrating those that demonstrate this in the categories of Access and Inclusion, Health and Wellbeing, and Sustainability.
Content updated January 2026
