Best cafes in Campbelltown, Camden: Cafe kings and queens of the brunch scene revealed

There’s nothing quite liked a smashed avo or a breakfast burger on a Saturday morning, and there is plenty of choice throughout Macarthur. Meet the kings and queens of the region’s cafes.

They’re the kings and queens of the Macarthur region who have worked tirelessly to make a name for themselves in the brunch scene.

From the best breakfast classics to those riding the ‘clean eating’ wave, the Macarthur Chronicle takes a look at the movers and shakers behind some of the region’s top cafes and discovers some of the secrets to their success.

The Canturi family – Dahlia’s Cafe, Campbelltown

Patrick Canturi with son Michael. In 2015, the new look Dahlia's Cafe had just opened at Campbelltown Mall.

The Canturis have been running Dahlia’s Cafe for 22 years out of the Campbelltown Mall, and they have no plans on slowing down.

Patrick Canturi said the business has evolved but it started as just him, his wife Carmen as the chef, and Michael his son who had recently finished high school.

“My background was more in the computer industry but I thought it was a good opportunity for us to get together and work as a family,” he said.

“So, that’s what we did and it evolved from three of us to about 15 people now.

“Michael my son is now more in charged of the business and he is more hands-on, while I am more on the administration side and my wife is still doing the cooking with all the other chefs.”

Mr Canturi said they have been based in the mall for 22 years, but in a couple of different locations.

Six years ago, they expanded the cafe after taking over the shop next door.

It’s no minor feat for a small business to survive more than two decades, and Mr Canturi said it comes down to sticking to the same principles they started with.

“We wanted good food and good service,” he said.

“There have been ups and downs and it’s been fantastic and it’s been hard but we have stuck to those principles.

“We have had great staff of people who are hard workers and friendly.”

Mr Canturi said they knew they were onto a good thing when in their second year of trading they won the Outstanding Cafe award.

And, it’s been an honour they have scooped up multiple times since then.

So, what’s the number one dish Mr Canturi would recommend to his customers? The Mediterranean eggs and chorizo.

“You can’t go wrong with that,” he said.

Seta Berbari – Seta’s Cafe, Campbelltown

When Seta Berbari dreamt of opening a cafe, she wanted to create a place where people would come for a cuppa, a good meal and a chat.

It is a dream that has come true.

“I opened up Seta’s Cafe about seven years ago,” Ms Berbari said.

“My main goal was a place for people to come eat, talk and make friends. I didn’t want a place where they just grab a coffee and go and you don’t say anything to each other.

“I also love good coffee and I love, love food.”

Ms Berbari said one of the biggest difficulties she faces in running her small business is the lack of foot traffic.

“There is nothing around here for people,” she said.

“So, if people are coming here they are coming specially to see me.

“Another challenge is also parking. That can really deter people from coming here.”

While social media has its benefits, Ms Berbari said word of mouth has gone a long way to boosting her profile in the past seven years.

She said her biggest accomplishment in running Seta’s Cafe is the community I have created.

“My customers are my friends,” she said.

“Every day when I walk through that door, I think ‘how can I help make someone’s life better today’.

“I always want to make sure that even if I am only speaking with someone for two minutes, they feel better and they leave with a smile.”

Ms Berbari’s top recommendation for any customer looking for a great dish to start off their day is the french toast.

“You won’t be disappointed,” she said.

Kym Van Den Heuvel – Barenz, Camden

The managing director of Barenz is a perfect example of starting at the bottom and working one’s way to the top.

Barenz was started in 2009 and Kym Van Den Heuvel purchased it from the previous owners in December, 2018.

“I worked for the previous owners starting out as a glassy … then worked my way to bar manager,” he said.

“Then timing meant opportunity and I was able to put in a bid and purchase Barenz.”

In Camden, the residents are spoiled for choice when it comes to eating out which means there is a lot of competition.

However, while competitors can be a challenge, Mr Van Den Heuvel said it also drives the market and pushes him to be better.

“Obviously Covid has been another challenge,” he said.

“That was really detrimental to our industry, but I think it also gave us a chance to adapt and grow.

“We really leaned into the takeaway model and we also did a slight renovation to serve coffee directly onto the street.”

Mr Van Den Heuvel said he knew the community was doing it tough during lockdown so ran $10 pizza and pasta deals to make it economically viable for people to buy takeaway.

“Thank you to all the local people who have been loyal to all businesses in Camden,” he said.

“It still feels like a small town in some ways because of the loyalty people show.”

A win that Mr Van Den Heuvel is proud of his is the diversity in how his business operates.

“We are a bar, a restaurant, a cafe, a function centre,” he said.

“We can cater to almost every market of the day and I am really proud of that.”

If Mr Van Den Heuvel could only make one recommendation, he would tell his customers to order the tasting plate for two.

“It’s got a bit of everything, so you get a taste of everything,” he said.

Shefali Pall – Alkalizer, Campbelltown

Shefali Pall from Alkalizer

Shefali Pall has been managing Alkalizer for six years after living in the area for more than 16 years.

“One of the things as raising a young family is that there weren’t many options for healthy food,” she said.

“We would do a lot of travel to go to places where we could eat out as a family somewhere that had healthy but delicious food.

“We realised we needed something like that in the area, a place that promoted clean eating but showed people how delicious it could be.”

With that motivation in mind, Ms Pall started exploring her options and creating a business case.

But in the beginning, there was not much support for her ideas as people said the demographic of Campbelltown was not interested in “healthy options”.

“I always thought that if people were given the option they would embrace it,” Ms Pall said.

“That’s exactly what happened. The amount of love and support we got when we opened was overwhelming.”

The basic concept behind the cafe is “alkalinity”.

“So the water on site is alkaline water and our coffee beans are roasted in a way that it is higher in the alkaline level and then made with alkaline water,” Ms Pall said.

“We are also local tea blenders which we are very proud of.

“I wanted to do it in Campbelltown because it’s my home and my region and it’s where I belong.”

Like many other businesses, Ms Pall had not planned for a pandemic.

While most businesses plan for every conceivable scenario such as illness, fire, flooding and even theft, a pandemic was not something on the list.

“Something like Covid and lockdowns was just not on anyone’s business case,” Ms Pall said.

“There was no time to think or plan, we just had to redo our business with no warning.

“I remember when we found out and I thought ‘I wanted to hide in a corner and not come out’, but we had a whole team relying on us so we had to make it work.”

Ms Pall said the biggest win for her has been building a community that shares a passion.

“I think as a business you are measured by the love and support of the people around you,” she said.

“It’s what helps keep you going.

“To see them implementing the lessons from our business at home to use the same flavours is so amazing, it inspires me and tells me I am making a difference.”

Ms Pall recommends the turmeric cauliflower steak, adding it was her favourite menu on the item right now.

Justin and Elizabeth Georgopoulos – Justinian’s Cafe & Dessert Bar, Campbelltown

Justin and Elizabeth Georgopoulos with their two daughters at Justinian’s Cafe & Dessert Bar.

Just as they were coming out of Covid, a Macarthur couple were devastated after their cafe was robbed. But, Justin and Elizabeth Georgopoulos are always to look on the bright side.

When they opened Justinian‘s Cafe & Dessert Bar in 2015 at Macarthur Square, they wanted to build a hub for family, friends and strangers.

They had worked in the corporate world for a decade after running a business, but wanted to have their own shop together again.

“When we opened Justinian’s, three weeks later we had our first baby,” Mr Georgopoulos said.

“It kind of worked well.”

Mrs Georgopoulos said they had both been working in the city and saw there was a missing opportunity in Campbelltown.

“We knew we could create a place where you went for brunch but also for really delicious desserts,” she said.

“We were travelling elsewhere for it so we knew there would be a market to tap into.”

Mrs Georgopoulos said one of the secrets to their success is having dishes that people want to eat at any time of day, but would not ordinarily do so.

Try something sweet at Justinian’s Cafe & Dessert Bar.

“It’s not uncommon for us to serve waffle sandwiches and brownies for breakfast,” she said.

“Those are our kind of people.”

“Then you have the other side of it, the people who want breakfast foods late at night,” Mr Georgopoulos added.

“Some people want an eggs benny for dinner at 9pm.”

Mr Georgopoulos said their success comes down to consistently service delicious good and having great service.

Mrs Georgopoulos said one of their biggest challenges is rising costs, particularly in the wake of Covid.

“It has impacted people’s ability to come out and then on top of that we have increased costs,” she said.

“We see the cost going up for supplies, rent, electricity and it’s trying to get the right balance to make sure we are still providing that great value.”

Both Mr and Mrs Georgopoulos said they are proud of their contributions to their local community whether it’s by donations to sporting clubs or raising funds to combat homelessness.

During lockdown, the couple decided to run a competition to give away dessert boxes.

People submitted stories of their loved ones who they thought deserved a sweet treat, and the couple was so moved by the stories they ending up giving away more boxes than planned.

So what do Mr and Mrs Georgopoulos recommend from their menu? They say you can’t go past a dessert board or the big breakfast.

Hans and Rose Versteeg – Arts Centre Cafe at the Gardens, Campbelltown

The team at the Arts Centre Cafe at the Gardens

More than 15 years ago, Hans and Rose Versteeg visited the Japanese Garden and immediately fell in love with the location.

So, they decided to take over the cafe and start their own business.

“My wife had live in Japan for a few years and we saw this place, we were sold,” Mr Versteeg said.

“We then set about building the business.”

Mr Versteeg said a highlight of running the business has been to provide employment opportunities to people with disabilities.

“We have had one gentleman with autism who has been with us for about seven years now,” he said.

“The one message we have for people is you don’t really understand what you are missing out on when you don’t have inclusive practices.

Coffee with a view at the Arts Centre Cafe at the Gardens

“They are the most loyal, hardworking and genuine people you meet.”

Mr Versteeg said while Covid was without a doubt a major challenge, but it also proved to be a big win in some ways.

“In the first lockdown we had, we had a chef friend that I had who worked with homeless people and he needed a kitchen,” he said.

“He bought ingredients and the cooked meals, but then we our customers started to donate money and we started to buy our own ingredients and cook meals.

“We did the same thing in the second lockdown and in the three months we were closed we cooked 25,000 meals for people doing it tough.”

Mr Versteeg said it has been fantastic to welcome people back into the cafe, and he loves being a part of the Macarthur community.

He said is number one recommendation on the menu is whatever is on the special.

“Always go for the special,” he said. “Whenever I go somewhere, I don’t bother with the menu. Always take the special.”