George Mikhail ran the successful Miranda cafe Georgie Porgies for nine years before its closure in early March.
Now, Mikhail has joined the team at the new cafe-bar Waters Edge, located next to Cronulla Park.
Speaking to The Leader, Mikhail said it was “a very difficult decision to close Georgie Porgies, but it just wasn’t worth being there any more”.
“We weren’t getting enough people in,” he said.
“I decided to get out before I lost everything.”
Mikhail has become a ‘Shire icon’ after achieving great success at his Miranda cafe, also being a strong advocate of the ‘World’s Greatest Shave’. In 2018, Mikhail raised a whopping $5000 for the Leukaemia Foundation.
Mikhail revealed that Zac Sweeney, owner of Waters Edge, offered him to join the new Cronulla cafe-bar, and the former cafe owner said he’s been enjoying the change.
“It’s always more fun to have your own place to run, but there are also a lot of headaches,” he said.
“Zac is a good person, and I am very happy.”
The business is operating as a cafe at this stage while an application for a liquor licence is processed.
Mr Sweeney said the cafe offered “a simple menu with reasonable prices and great service”.
“I think a lot of places over complicate it,” he said.