Following customer anxiety both in-store and online, new CJ's owner Beth Robertson has put Kalaru locals at ease with a firm promise: "We are absolutely not changing the chips."
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"I'm mainly just trying to make sure everything that the locals have grown to love stays the same," Mrs Robertson told ACM's Bega District News.
Ahead of the reopening in mid-September, the Tathra local and her team have been frantically working against the clock to prepare.
"Our main goal at the minute is to just get on our feet, keep it running as it has been, getting everybody comfortable, and getting the new staff used to each other," she said.
"There's moments of it being very daunting because my biggest thing is not letting down everybody who is so loyal to CJ's already, so there's a lot of pressure but I do really believe in the team."
Determined to honour the shop's legacy, Mrs Robertson was keeping the CJ's name and even absorbed advice from former owner Courtney before taking over.
Not only was Mrs Robertson looking forward to reopening the doors, the new business owner said she was excited to confirm CJ's was "keeping on all of the staff".
"We have five staff that are actually staying on with us and we have our new manager, Shannon, who loves to bake, loves to cook, and has got some really great experience with so many different things in the kitchen," she said.
While running a cafe was new territory for Mrs Robertson, her background in pubs, hotels and residential cleaning provided a natural transition.
"With cleaning, I love how my brain quietens down when I'm in a job like that. I feel like I get instant gratification. I know exactly what needs to be done," Mrs Robertson said.
"But when it comes to the cafe, there is the side of me that is very social. I feel like each side gets to fulfill each side of me, if that makes sense."
CJ's was already her regular pit stop during weekly cleaning routes.
"I saw the post on CJ's Facebook page that they were closing down," Mrs Robertson said.
"I know so many people that go to CJ's regularly, including myself and my husband, and many people were really gutted that it was going to be closing completely.
"A thought came into my head. I had a few discussions with people and got a bit of advice on whether they thought it realistically was something that could be done, and the opportunity was there. So we went for it."
As a customer, her personal go-to was the BLT, but she quickly learned what mattered most to the community.
"Everybody locally is a massive fan of the seafood basket and the hot chips, which are obviously very well known and delicious," Mrs Robertson said.
The takeover has brought widespread relief to a town with limited dining options.
"Somebody said to me, 'I'm just so relieved that there's actually still going to be a takeaway in Kalaru in the evening over the weekend because we just don't have anywhere else to go,'" Mrs Robertson recalled.
"So our main focus has solely been on making sure that the kitchen, the food, and the staff are ready."
Jimmy Parker
I am a multi-award-winning regional news journalist on the Far South Coast of NSW. I aim to immortalise the stories of everyday people through narratives and capture breaking news. Have you got a story? Contact me on 0437 166 441 or at jimmy.parker@austcommunitymedia.com.au
