Residents of Maloneys Beach are excited by the impending sale of the site of the old cafe on Maloneys Dr, but the owner of the last business on site has warned it will be a tough slog for any prospective buyer.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The old Maloneys Beach Cafe, or 121 Maloneys Drive, Maloneys Beach, is currently under offer with Raine & Horne with an advertised price of $550,000.
Although the Bay Post is yet to confirm whether the site will be run as a business or a private residence, the building is the only spot in Maloneys Beach with retail zoning from the council.
The existing building has large areas at the front and side to act as retail space, and a two-bedroom living space set into the back of the building.
Sylvie Siteaud, who ran the old Maloneys Beach Cafe with her husband Pascal, said they found running a business challenging towards the end of their eight-year tenure.
"At the beginning it was very pleasant, we really enjoyed it," she said.
"It was quite challenging at the end though, we were fighting against deliveries, more takeaway options, and food trucks.
"Many people now order online, and even though we thought we were quite competitive, people would just assume we were too expensive."
Ms Siteaud also said getting the locals around Maloneys Beach to use the cafe was a challenge.
"A lot of the people who were coming were from Long Beach," she said.
"We used to do live music for free, but we found people just didn't come."
The business was run mainly as a cafe, but also included a small shopping space for essentials.
It has also previously been a bottle shop.
"I don't think a restaurant would work on the site, even though many people want that," Ms Siteaud said.
"The population in Maloneys Beach is too low, and most of the people from there work in Batemans Bay, so they do almost everything in town."