A dispute between Mr Tulk café owner Michael Togias and the State Library Victoria has continued ahead of the planned closure of the Melbourne CBD café.
Mr Tulk café, located inside the State Library Victoria, is set to close on May 13 at the end of its lease agreement after a public tender process awarded the site to catering company The Big Group.
The closure has prompted community support for the business, with a petition calling for Mr Tulk to remain open attracting more than 6,000 signatures.
Togias said the café had become closely linked to the library experience for many visitors.
“For a lot of people, the reason they come to the library is for Mr Tulk, so if Mr Tulk wasn’t there, they’re not coming back,” he told The Greek Herald.
Togias also said his business partnered with an NDIS provider to train young people with disabilities in hospitality roles.
Library access restriction disputed
As the closure date approaches, Togias said he has been issued a ban from entering the State Library Victoria until September 2026.
“They’ve banned me from the library for six months. They’re trying to set agendas and narratives, it’s just such a battle just to deal with them, it’s really hard,” Togias said. “We certainly feel vilified and harassed and bullied.”
Togias said he disputes the reasons given for the restriction and denies allegations relating to incidents at the library.
“They said that I was in the library and they had to call security to take me away, it never happened,” he said.
He also referred to a separate visit to the Guild Café, another hospitality venue inside the library, with writer Gideon Haigh.
“He wanted to go for a walk up there to see what they’d done to the Guild, because we were running Guild café… he just wanted to take a couple of pictures, and we stayed there for a couple of minutes. He took the pictures and we left.”
Togias said he has requested further clarification regarding the circumstances that led to the restriction.
“It just never happened… We’ve asked them to produce security footage to explain how they’ve come to that decision, but they won’t produce it, they won’t have a meeting with us. It’s been really tough, it’s been really tough,” he said.
The State Library Victoria said it is unable to comment on individual cases.
According to the library’s published conditions of entry, visitors are expected to treat staff and other patrons with courtesy and respect. The library also reserves the right to refuse entry or prohibit access for a specified period if those conditions are breached.
“They’re not producing any footage to confirm or deny,” Togias said. “We’re really upset and we obviously want to clear my name. I’ve been in business in Melbourne for 20 years in the CBD. I want my name cleared.”
Togias said he has received legal correspondence relating to the petition, behaviour concerns and enforcement of the restriction.
Tender process and library response
Regarding the lease process, the State Library Victoria said the site was subject to a standard public tender following the expiry of the previous agreement.
“The 15-year lease for the operation of Mr Tulk Café at State Library Victoria expired in 2026 and there was no provision for further extension under that agreement,” the library said in a statement to The Greek Herald.
“The Library was therefore required to undertake a public tender process to secure a new long-term lease agreement following the Victorian Government Purchasing Board Guidelines.”
The library said the tender process complied with Victorian Government requirements.
“The tender followed all Victorian Government guidelines, ensuring a competitive, robust and equitable process and the successful provider was selected through this process.
“The space will continue to operate as a café that is open to the public.”
Calls for further review
Writer John A. Martino, who supports Togias, said he intends to pursue legal action over the outcome of the tender agreement.
Martino said he plans to seek access to documents related to the tender through a Freedom of Information request and may pursue the matter through the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
He also said he intends to seek ministerial attention to the matter.
The dispute comes as Mr Tulk prepares to close after 15 years operating within one of Melbourne’s best-known public institutions.
