Mel.Vegan.Chef

Christmas might be on steroids outside, but here I am, on another glorious no-rush morning, choosing witchy plant vibes, peace, and the freedom to enjoy my life — which includes loads of catch-ups with friends old and new, a hard pass on drama, side-stepping other people’s chaos, and anything that feels like pressure gets quietly ignored.

Merry Xmas.
Stay weird.
Do what makes you happy.
Be the change.
🖤🌱☕️

In case you also needed to hear this ⬇️

Edit- I resigned from Meliora (and hence Archie) effective immediately on November 1 2025.

Hey everyone, Mel here from Vegood — and one of the original owners of Archie AM PM. I wanted to finally reach out and fill you in on what’s been happening, because going quiet the way we did has never sat right with me.

When Zacchary Bird and I opened in May 2024, we poured everything into Archie. But just six months later, Zac moved from Brisbane, and I did my best to keep things going with pop-ups and events mostly on my own. Unfortunately, my health began to crash hard — to the point my medical specialists told me to stop immediately. I didn’t have clear answers at the time, and I was too unwell to explain properly, so I just… vanished. And I’m truly sorry for that.

After months of rest (and a lot of soul searching), I realised I had little choice but to step away from my passion for vegan food. I began working as a support worker — something thatMeliora Support Services purpose. Through that, and some of our old Archie regulars from Meliora Support Services , the idea was born to bring Archie back — but in a new and more meaningful way.

Archie AM PM is being reborn as a supported employment café, run by people with disabilities, with me returning as part-time manager and head chef. I’ll still be creating all our ridiculous vegan food dreams, but also helping build a space that supports and empowers others.

Over the coming months, you’ll see lots of changes happening — not just to the menu, but to the space itself, inside and out. We’re redesigning Archie to make it a warm, inclusive, and functional workplace for supported employment, and we can’t wait to share the transformation with you as it unfolds.

I’m endlessly grateful for the love and patience from those who’ve stuck around. I can’t wait to welcome you back — this time, with even more heart behind every plate.