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Off to the real Positano
One of
restaurateur George Vlahos's best memories
is seeing dining couples through their
romance, engagement, marriage and having
children. He's seen
a lot of that in the 11 years he's been
running Cafè Positano on Stirling
Highway, but that all comes to an end when
the cafè closes down on Sunday,
March 4. The
popular Italian Cafè Positano
opened in 1988 and George and chef partner
Fedele Conti took it over in
1990. George
knew nothing about the restaurant
business, having come to it from selling
real estate, but without even realising
it, he set the tone for a casual, friendly
atmosphere that has attracted locals back
again and again. A recent
survey at the cafè revealed that
repeat business was just over 80%, proving
what George believed he already knew -
that his customers had become his
friends. The
decision to close Positano's came when
George and Fedele couldn't get a long-term
lease. "We wanted
to protect our investment," explained
George, "We wanted to stay long-term, but
the best we could hope for was just
another three years. "It's our
decision to close the doors because we
felt there might not be a future for the
cafè and ultimately that affects
motivation." George
also admits that in 10 years the longest
break he's had is 10 days. "The
hardest thing, because this has all
happened so quickly, is not being able to
say goodbye to people," said George. But
he hopes regulars will pop in on Sunday to
share in the cafè's last
hoorah. "One thing
I must do, is visit the real Positano in
Italy, " said George. Gazing
longingly at a photo of the beautiful town
tucked into the Amalfi coastline, he said
as he closed the door: "I'll send you a
postcard!" Back
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