In a world of QR code menus, online shopping and self-checkouts, the old-fashioned corner store remains a refuge for those seeking human interaction while they shop. / (min cost $ 0 ) or signup to continue reading Sadly, for some Wodonga residents, one refuge is disappearing as the friendly faces at a De Kerilleau Drive staple will soon greet their customers no more. After seven years in business, Gables Cafe owners Andrew Slorach and Danielle Maclean have announced they are selling their family business.
"We've had disasters, we've had good times, and we've built a great family life out of all of it," Mr Slorach said. "But above everything, it'll be the customers that we miss the most." Sometimes we might be the only people they see all day While working as a chef at the where Downtown Pizzeria now stands, Mr Slorach and his partner dreamed of opening a business of their own.
"We had this thing that we wanted to recreate the corner store again," he said. "We found this place and we wanted to put our own flavour on the shop. "After about the fourth week, I've gone, holy sh-t, what have we got ourselves into? Working seven days a week from morning to night because we had to, with our three kids running around in the background.
"It probably took about 12 months for people to start realising that there was new blood in the shop, and we kept going from there. It was very, very successful." Over time, Mr Slorach said he developed a relationship with his customers "that you rarely.