DUTCH Embassy Cafe customers are invited to be part of commemorative photographs in the next 10 days as the cafe prepares to close.
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Owner Emma Hill said the lease ran out, meaning she could not sell the business and the only option was to close.
“We could have stayed until February, but January and February are the most quiet months in hospitality,” she said.
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Photos will be taken at 10.15am on December 13 and December 20, the day the cafe expects to close its doors.
Ms Hill said she had enjoyed operating from the premises for the past nine years – first as Lavendilli-Blue and then the Dutch Embassy.
“It’s a unique building and people comment on it,” she said.
MENU OVERHAUL AT GREAT WESTERN HOTEL
CHANGES are afoot at the Great Western Hotel, 12 months after the historic pub changed ownership.
Owner Matthew Hardman has moved to Orange to oversee the changes after wrapping up his commitments in the casino industry, which started at Orange Ex-Services’ Club and took him to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Alice Springs.
“I wanted to re-establish my connection with accommodation, food and beverage,” he said.
It was built in 1852 so there’s a lot of history and I want to respect all that while moving the business forward.
- Great Western Hotel owner Matthew Hardman
“I liked the idea of owning my own establishment.”
The changes will start this week, with equipment arriving for the kitchen, and Mr Hardman said patrons would be involved in a wider refurbishment of the pub and the 30 hotel rooms upstairs.
“It was built in 1852 so there’s a lot of history and I want to respect all that while moving the business forward,” he said.
He hoped help from celebrity chef Danny Russo would lift the bistro’s reputation as Orange’s best pub food.
MOUNTAIN TEAHOUSE OPEN UNDER NEW OWNERS
THE Mountain Teahouse’s latest owners say they want to bring the business back to its former glory.
Nicky Macqueen, who formerly ran the Dragonfly Lounge in Summer Street, reopened the tea house last month with extended hours and set about completing small changes to the building.
“I always used to go out there as a child and I always loved the place so when we saw it was closed, my husband and I decided we should bring it back to life,” she said.
- READ ALSO: Iconic Mountain Teahouse up for sale
“We opened up the kitchen a little bit so people can see in and we can talk them as we’re working.”
She said she had continued the teahouse’s reputation for fresh-baked pies and sausage rolls and added healthier options to the menu, including bowls and smoothies.
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