A coffee shop is brewing much love among the locals in Lara.
Known to its regulars as ‘Anna’s Coffee’, @7 cafe is a husband and wife business owned by Anna and Ray Huang.
Ms Huang said they took over the cafe – their first ever business – in January 2019.
Since then, the number of regular customers keeps growing and it is they who have helped the business succeed even through COVID-19.
“Some of them come in almost every day, some of them come in a few days a week,” Ms Huang said.
“We’ve actually got lots of local people who are supporting us.
“I wanted to say a big thank you to the local people. Sometimes, they buy a cup of coffee but they give me $20.
“They wanted everybody to feel the love.
“They even give me flowers from their garden, so I always have flowers in my shop from my regulars.”
In normal times, the cafe has an environment where people come to meet their friends for coffee and brunch, or to relax by themselves while reading newspapers.
During restrictions, everything on the menu is available for takeaway.
Ms Huang said her husband, who is in charge of the kitchen, served up an array of popular brunches.
“He is always improving on his cooking skills and finding some interesting things to attract the residents around here – and it’s good value,” she said.
“I think the best selling for brunch, on top of the list, is eggs Benedict.
“I’ve got really nice feedback – basically everybody loves it, lots of orders on the eggs Benedict.
“I think my husband makes really good poached eggs, also. His poached eggs are very, very good – fantastic – my customers say.
“Also, our coffee is quite good, I have to say, because I use a top-of-the-range coffee bean and I use A2 milk.
“I’ve never wanted to drop the quality that I sell, and since I opened I have never raised the price once.
“I think, with COVID, everybody is already suffering. All they can do is come into the cafe shop and enjoy the moment … this is what I can offer.
“I’ve got my regulars and I keep on getting more and more regulars when the first time they come in they feel the energy and then they want to come back.
“I just hope everyone stays safe. It’s a very difficult time for everybody to go through.
“Please be safe – that’s all I want.”
