An online petition has been launched to “save” Mr Tulk Café at Melbourne’s State Library of Victoria.
Mr Tulk, which has been operated by current proprietors Michael and Maria Togias since 2017, is an independent café attached to the public space named after the first librarian of the State Library, Augustus Henry Tulk.
The café’s tenure looks set to end in May 2026, however, with the Library Board of Victoria opening a tender process to operate the site last year, with the contract for the winner initially set to commence in February 2026.
The tender closed in September 2025. It encouraged those bidding to operate the space to “propose fresh branding, concepts, and fit outs to refresh and redefine the space.”
The tender request also detailed the location as being at “one of Melbourne’s busiest intersections” and that it “offers an iconic opportunity with exceptional foot traffic from commuters, students, professionals, and tourists”, with the Library “on track” to reach three million visitors by 2026.
The winner of the tender would also have the opportunity to “activate” other spaces including the Russell Street Kiosk, Library Forecourts, and Information Centre.
Journalist Gideon Haigh reported for The Guardian that the contract has been awarded to The Big Group, which handles events catering for the likes of the Australian Open, the Spring Racing Carnival, and the Caulfield Races.
The petition to save the café was launched by journalist Jeff Waters on change.org and has 1957 signatures at the time of writing.
