When Damian and Joanne Rabbas moved back to Geelong four years ago, starting a cafe in the heart of Geelong was a no-brainer.
“This has been my wife’s passion,” Damian says.
“She’s had a long history of being in hospitality, so she’s very familiar with cafe and restaurant environments.”
The couple grew up in Geelong and moved to Queensland for the mining boom, but returned when the industry slumped.
“We’re ended up moving down to the old stomping ground,” Damian says.
The couple hasn’t looked back since opening Cafe Lorae.
“I was a little bit of a fish out of water, but it’s been quite good,” Damian says.
“It’s great interaction with customers. You develop a good rapport with people and we’ve been able to develop a good reputation with the business.”
Cafe Lorae also gets involved in the community and has been a long-time supporter of children’s charity Camp Quality.
“We try to help where we can,” Damian says.
“It’s always good to be involved in those things.”
Cafe Lorae is conveniently located on Moorabool Street and offers all-day breakfast and great value mains starting at $9.70.
The cafe staff custom-make their sandwiches to each customer’s taste using bread that’s freshly baked in Moolap every day.
They cook all the home-style cafe favourites and can do catering, too. Cafe Lorae is open Monday to Friday from 6.30am to 3pm.
“We’re open nice and early, so we’re good for tourists and workers looking for an early start.”
