Carman's: A taste of things to come
Published on 18 August 2021
The traditional manufacturing pocket of Huntingdale and the retail and residential areas around it are changing – for the better.
Currently home to around 3500 jobs, Huntingdale is a key part of the Monash National Employment and Innovation Cluster (The Cluster). As The Cluster grows, employment in Huntingdale will grow as well. We will also see the types of jobs change over the next 15 years as the look and feel of the area changes.
Council's Huntingdale Precinct Plan supports the expected jobs growth in The Cluster. This plan will identify opportunities for more jobs and housing in and around Huntingdale. The recent improvements to the Huntingdale bus and train interchange have already seen forward-thinking investors taking advantage of the competitive advantages of the location.
In a discussion with Carolyn Creswell of Carman’s Kitchen, Carolyn highlighted the value for money Huntingdale offered and her new site’s 20-minute access to most of Melbourne through key transport linkages (including the Monash Freeway) as main factors in her decision to locate her growing business in Huntingdale.
Updating and modernising the tired 5000m2 Pink Lady Chocolate factory site, Carolyn’s vision and investment has transformed it into a shining example of what the future holds for Huntingdale.
Located just behind the Huntingdale retail strip, Carman’s now welcomes corporate customers and coffee afficionados alike via a bright and airy coffee shop, with a product outlet and yummy tastings on offer.
Staff at Carman’s now occupy a beautifully spacious and carefully designed office with all the extras that a business wanting to attract the best employees in the field offers. This includes a gymnasium, social room, yoga studio and sunny protected outdoor area to enjoy breaks.
Including an ‘Innovation Kitchen’ in the upgrade has allowed caterer Just Jenna’s to access not only a fully equipped base, but a secure stream of customers – an independent business within a business, which is an all-round win.
Carolyn’s vision in pulling together these disparate businesses into a free-flowing, bright and welcoming space for her staff, clients and the broader community follows perfectly on from the vision and drive that took her business from a $1000 investment in 1992 to the multimillion-dollar future-focused and globally recognised brand that it is today.
Pop in and check out the magnificent office setting and try the coffee at 11 Hume Street, Huntingdale.