Ben Crawley has taken over running the existing kiosk serving coffee and snacks, however within the next month or two plans to open the other side of the building to incorporate a cafe and wine bar.

“I hope to have it open by late December and early January,” Mr Crawley said.

“The venue itself is fantastic and I’ll be giving it a new direction and some TLC.”

The Lakehouse will serve modern Australian food including breakfast, light meals and fresh juices, with an emphasis on local produce.

Mr Crawley said it would have an atmosphere similar to a “beachside cafe ... but on the lake”.

On Friday and Saturday nights Mr Crawley hopes to serve meals that complement the range of wine and coffee on offer, including meals incorporating seafood and cheese boards.

Mr Crawley, who has been working in hospitality in Orange in the past couple of years, said he’d been looking for a business like this for some time.

“I’ve been looking at venues that had been let go,” he said.

Orange City Council has had problems finding people to take over the operation of the Lake Canobolas kiosk with council’s own staff running the kiosk in between private tenants.

tracey.prisk@

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