Refugee business directory


Treat yourself to a delicious meal, buy beautiful gifts or free-range produce, or use services offered by a business run by a refugee or one that gives refugees a chance to work, in your area, or online.

Those who arrive under extreme circumstances generally have more capacity and more motivation to really build a second life for themselves, and take the sort of risk to start businesses and employ people and create jobs that someone who perhaps has been here for one, two, three generations may not.
— Huy Truong, CEO ALI Group (Australia), quoted in the Australian Financial Review 25 Nov 2016
Check out the businesses that MWiB love, all run by refugee and migrant women.

Check out the businesses that MWiB love, all run by refugee and migrant women.

Follow The Welcome Merchant on Instagram to find out the latest on refugee-powered businesses. Featured in this Junkee article.

Follow Welcome Merchant on Instagram, a social enterprise that elevates refugee-owned businesses in Australia through its online directory, curated events, gift hampers & skill-building workshops. Featured in this Vogue article.


Sydney

Eat & Drink

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Savour bread and pastries, including sourdough and muffins and stock from over 150 cafes, restaurants and delis. Also at Woolworths Metro stores, Harris Farm Markets at Bondi Junction Westfield and Leichhardt Norton Plaza. Look on the map for all the places and home delivery services that supply our products.

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Catering from House of Welcome offers delicious culture and fusion-inspired cuisine for all private and corporate events. Led by an internationally-renowned Head Chef, our creations include finger food, hot food bowls, share platters, sandwiches, soups and sweets.

Soulful modern and traditional food and vibrant cocktails, celebrating Sri Lankan cuisine. (Enmore)
Dinner Wed-Sun & weekend lunch.

Plate it Forward

Starting with Colombo Social, Plate it Forward now has another 5 venues, catering and corporate team activities.

Kabul Social Afghan street food in the heart of Sydney (Shop T15, MetCentre, Wynyard) and Greenwood Plaza Food Court, North Sydney). Weekday lunch.

Coyoacan Social Authentic Mexican street food (South Eveleigh). Weekday lunch.

Anything but humble (Alexandria) Delicious pies for lunch (Wed-Sun)

Kyiv Social Ukrainian cuisine and vibrant cocktails (cnr Broadway & City Rd, Grafton Lane next to the Landsdowne Hotel). Dinner Wed-Sat & weekend lunch.

Parliament on King

Visit our cafe at 632 King St, Newtown for a coffee, a chat and a snack. Our catering service offers everything from finger food to noodles and banquets, including vegan and vegetarian dishes from the countries of origin of our chefs.

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Join a tour to explore Sydney’s multicultural cuisines. School tours available.

Aunty’s Ginger Tonic

An edgy, uplifting Australian-made ginger beverage using all organic ingredients. Comes in two unique flavours (Ginger and Tamarind, Ginger and Cloves).


Shop

188 King St, Newtown

The Social outfit creates jazzy garments that tell a story. Find unique, colourful and high-quality designer pieces at our shop or from our online store.

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Flowers for every occasion. Order online for same day delivery.

Handmade scented candles

Hand-beaded necklaces, bracelets and earrings.


Services

Construction services for domestic and commercial properties, including tiling, painting, airconditioning and post-construction cleaning.

Interior designer with international experience (creative director in NYC fashion, design studio in Istanbul).


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Other directories

Ignite is a social enterprise that builds capability and walk alongside entrepreneurs helping them explore business creation. Visit their business directory to shop with refugee businesses.

Thrive supports entrepreneurs from a refugee background with microfinance loans, mentoring and finance solutions. Watch some of their success stories.


Illawarra

Buy produce straight from the farm (in Lake Heights), visit the op shop (16 Bellambi Lane, Bellambi), book a waste audit or waste management services for your business or event, or get great staff through recruitment or labour hire.

ACT

Her Kitchen Table

Order a delicious home-cooked meal and have it delivered or pick it up from Weston Creek Community Centre.
Parkinson St, Weston.

Cafe Stepping Stone

90 Stockdill Drive, Holt. Located on the western edge of Canberra near the Murrumbidgee River.

Vegetarian cafe in the beautiful gallery space at Strathnairn Arts (open Wed-Sun, 9-4, Sunset pizza night Fridays 4-8pm), serving locally-grown produce and with catering options.

Also visit Stepping Stone coffee van at Ginninderry’s GX Display Village. 26 Yoemans Street, Strathnairn. Open 10-4 Fri - Sun.

 

Melbourne

Eat

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Global food experiences, offering canapes, meal boxes, meals to share, breakfast, morning and afternoon tea, salads, soups and sweets.

Journeys Cafe: 2 locations @ University of Melbourne:
Parkville (Student Pavilion
Level 4, Building 162, Monash Rd,
Cnr, Swanston St)

Southbank (Building 877,
28-30 Dodds St)

Cafe and community hub (Tower 3, 747 Collins St, Docklands), catering and events service, offering delicious, nutritious and feel-good salads, curries, stews, soups and sweets. 

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Hamed’s Persian Kitchen

(21 Dickson St, Sunshine)
Persian brunch & banquet, catering, cookbook, bespoke cooking classes. Goodfood article

Free to feed

Hire our newly refurbished 800sqm event space for your special event (with grazing tables or canapes), or have our grazing tables delivered to your own venue. Book a cooking class for yourself or a group. Visit our online shop

205-211 Queens Parade, Fitzroy North

Space2b Social Design

(144 Chapel St, St Kilda)

Shop at our online store or Visit our art, cultural & cuisine training hub comprising a retail outlet, gallery, laneway cafe, design studio, workshop & training space and small business hub.

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Enjoy pop up Scarf Dinners at some of Melbourne’s top-end restaurants, where our hospitality trainees get hands-on, paid work experience serving real diners in real venues.

Scarf seasons have run at Uncle, Ladro, Liminal and Bhang, who proudly partner with us to create more equity in the hospitality industry.

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Crafted culture cafe

Grab a coffee and a bite to eat. Savour our special jams, salsa and pickles, made by members of the Sisterworks family.

104 Bridge Road, Richmond


Shop

Ethically made face masks, homewares, eco-friendly accessories, handmade body care products, gifts for all occasions.

(online and also available at 393 Swan St, Richmond; 101 Toorak Rd, South Yarra; Ritchies IGA stores in Sorrento, Balnarring, Dromana, Mt Eliza, Carrum Downs, Mt Waverley, Rowville, Aspendale Gardens, East Bentleigh)

The Beautiful Bunch

Gorgeous bunches of blooms delivered to your door. We minimise waste by using 100% biodegradable packaging.

Assembled threads

Workwear, uniforms and PPE for government and industry customers.

Second Stitch

Handmade face masks, soft furnishings, bags and textile storage tubs in gorgeous fabrics.

Beautiful body care products and candles.

Merchant Road

Hire our beautiful, light-filled Auditorium for your next event. Offering event management, styling and service, and specialising in weddings.

128 Smith St, Collingwood

Fashion school, clothing and face mask manufacturer, retail shop, digital textile print studio.

Check out this video about how to make your own face mask.


Services

Aseel Tayah

Aseel is a Melbourne-based, Palestinian artist, creative director and cultural leader; a TEDx speaker who creates theatre shows, music performances and delivers social change projects using art and storytelling.

Asylum Seekers Resource Centre Cleaning

SuperKing cleaning

Professional cleaning services, run by Nirma, from the team at Tamil Feasts.

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Friends of Refugees

FORCE-Cleaning

Friends of Refugees Cleaning Enterprise and Property Maintenance - Melbourne’s South East.

FOR Removalists

Friends of Refugees Removalist services.

Other directories

Check out the Brotherhood of St Laurence’s Stepping stones small business directory for more businesses you can support.

RECOVER-Upcycling Furniture & Lives

Donate your unwanted furniture to give it a new lease of life.


Bendigo

Services

Mad Cow Cleaning Enterprise

Residential and commercial cleaning, steam cleaning and pressure washing.

 

Brisbane

Eat

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Mu’ooz Eritrean restaurant and catering

54 Mollison St, West End

Open Mon-Sat for lunch (11.30-3) and dinner (5.30-10)

Our catering offers 3-course meals (with the option of a traditional Eritrean Coffee Ceremony), cocktail menu and all-day conference packages (including wait staff).

Shop

Mojalivin

Online fashion shop: Look good while making a difference


Services

Services include final builders clean, corporate facilities maintenance, general caulking and silicone application.

We provide outsourced and on-demand hotel housekeeping services and staff to resorts and hotels in Queensland and other parts of Australia.

 

Logan

Eat

Enjoy all-day breakfast or lunch at our café. Our catering for all functions includes finger foods, platters, cultural food buffet, sandwiches, pastries and desserts. The café also has 2 spaces you can rent for your function – the Deck and Function Room.

 

Tasmania

Eat

MRC Tas Social Enterprise Kitchen

2/1A Anfield St, Glenorchy

Takeaway lunch on Wed, Thu and Fri, to savour dishes from countries including Eritrea, Syria and Afghanistan. Delivery to Hobart and surrounding suburbs available on Thu and Fri. We also cater for corporate and private functions.

Arad Nik makes Persian sweets and savoury treats at Persia’s Pantry. A regular on Perth’s market scene, Arad recently relocated to Hobart and delivers Australia-wide.

Order online, or contact Arad at persiaspantry@gmail.com or on 0427 762 361.

 

Perth

Eat

Fare go food truck

Delicious Middle Eastern comfort food - at markets around Perth or hire the truck for your private function.

 
 

International

Translations and online language learning taught by native speakers from a refugee background. Services available in Arabic, French, Persian, Spanish.

ANQA Collective

Online marketplace in the UK where refugee business owners sell their products.

Made51

Wholesale global brand of home decor and accessories.

Chatterbox

Online language learning, taught by refugee tutors. Languages available: Arabic, Bengali, French, Hindi, Korean, Mandarin, Persian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Turkish, Urdu.

Custom jewellery and other handcrafted items, made in Malaysia

Beyond the Fabric

Pants and clutches made by the Refugee Women Support Group Indonesia, and sold in Australia.

Loan $25+ to a refugee for their small business.

Kiva is a platform for crowdfunding micro-loans to give under-serviced people around the world access to capital.

Stroopies

If you’re in the USA, you can enjoy homemade Dutch stroopwafels made by refugees making a new life in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.