Café run by controversial MAGA supporter shuts down new venture with UNBELIEVABLE parting shot

By NICHOLAS COMINO FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Published: 06:31 BST, 6 May 2025 | Updated: 06:43 BST, 6 May 2025

A café in Sydney’s inner-west has closed its doors just weeks after opening, prompting its Trump-supporting owner to issue a fiery farewell message. 

Beuno, owned by former Australian Idol contestant Mark Da Costa, first opened on March 19 in St Peters but is now permanently closed six weeks later. 

Mr Da Costa is no stranger to controversy. 

In 2020, he faced backlash over inflammatory social media posts that sparked a boycott of his previous vegan café venture, Hale and Hearty, located in Waterloo. 

At the time, he declared the venue a ‘Trump safe zone’ and used a homophobic slur in a comment, asking a user if they were a ‘p**f.’ 

He also stated that the ‘gay community’ was not welcome at his café, remarks he has since described as ‘childish’, telling the Sydney Morning Herald they were ‘opinions I do not hold today’.

Despite this, his attempt to relaunch a business venture with Beuno was met with swift resistance from the local community in Sydney’s progressive inner-west. 

Posts in community Facebook groups urged residents to boycott his new venue.

Mark Da Costa (pictured) had a scathing message for critics after closing his cafe Beuno

The Beuno Instagram account was updated to say ‘f*** you all’

‘Surely this is a wind-up,’ one local wrote. 

‘Newtown of all places,’ another added.

Beuno’s closure was confirmed via a message posted to its now-deleted Instagram account, the biography of which was updated to say ‘f**k you all’. 

In his final post, Mr Da Costa didn’t hold back as he lashed locals. 

‘We closed. Yeah, we can’t survive in an area where people can’t figure out if they are male, female, dogs or cats,’ he wrote.

‘Unfortunately the owner’s views (Mark Da Costa) are simple. You got a dick you’re male, you got a m**f you’re a female.’

‘What you think you are should be respected, but you cannot force that upon others. You must equally have respect for what other people believe to be truth.’

Mr Da Costa ultimately blamed the progressive culture of the area for the café’s downfall, calling the experience a ‘huge lesson in ‘business and social studies’. 

Mr Da Costa declared a previous venue a ‘Trump safe zone’ and used a homophobic slur in a comment, asking a user if they were a ‘p**f’ (he is pictured wearing a Donald Trump t-shirt)

Beuno (pictured) shut down just two months after opening

He also makes a plug for his music, releasing under his stage name of ‘Marcus Blackbird’, with a song called ‘Only a Lie’. 

Mr Da Costa ended his post with a final message for the locals: ‘Queens are confused and angry, gays are happy and normal’.  

His new venture replaced a much-loved Palestinian eatery, the owners of which cited difficulties with their landlord before closing the café.

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Café run by controversial MAGA supporter shuts down new venture with UNBELIEVABLE parting shot

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