The online petition, titled Save The Bearded Cactus, was established after most Maitland City councillors last week voted in favour launching an investigation into compliance issues to “seek to have the facility stop operating”.

The petition to save the popular business attracted 750 supporters in the first day after it was launched on the www.change.org website one week ago.

It has since reached 1381 supporters.

“I believe in the social and community importance of small food and beverage outlets and that the community sees the value of alternative forms of retail such as this homely venue,” petition ­supporter Gavin Farley commented online.

The coffee cart opened in the front yard of a residential block on the New England Highway in February.

It was allowed to open because of a loophole in state government planning guidelines that allowed a mobile food and beverage outlet to operate on the block as long as it did not significantly impact the surrounding environment.

But a recent rise in the number of complaints, particularly about noise, traffic and privacy issues for neighbouring property owners, spurred council to action.

While the compliance investigation does not necessarily mean the closure of the business, it is likely the business will have to move.

The issue has stirred vigorous public debate in recent days.

Some members of the community want the coffee outlet to be allowed to remain in the front yard of the East Maitland home, but there has also been a chorus of people who have said they would be unhappy if a food or beverage business opened on a residential block near where they lived.

East Maitland resident Hendrik de Vries wrote on the petition page that he believed traffic along the highway near the Bearded Cactus had slowed since the coffee shop opened.

“I remember an accident almost every day because of speeders,” he said. 

“Now cars need to slow down to the 60km/h limit because of foot traffic there.”