A Melbourne bakery found TikTok fame, before trolls began harassing its young staff. How the owners responded went viral | Victoria

Lawrence Du, whose parents opened Montmorency Bakehouse in 2003 in Melbourne, has leveraged social media to promote their bakery, which offers traditional Australian baked goods with a Vietnamese twist. The bakery, founded by Shaun Du and Cindy Vuong after migrating from Vietnam, gained significant online attention through posts showcasing their products and behind-the-scenes moments.

Lawrence, a social media marketing professional, began posting videos highlighting the bakery’s operations, which quickly gained popularity, with one TikTok video receiving over 12 million views. The bakery’s staff, largely made up of students, also participated in the videos, contributing to a sense of community. However, the increased visibility brought negative attention in the form of racist and inappropriate comments, prompting Lawrence to take action by moderating comments and addressing concerns about staff safety.

To combat these issues, the family released a video asking viewers to refrain from making inappropriate comments, emphasizing the importance of creating a safe work environment. Despite the challenges, the bakery noted an uptick in customers traveling long distances to visit, highlighting both the risks and rewards of social media engagement for small businesses.