Cinema mogul Roy Mustaca reveals why he stepped in to save Max Brenner cafes

FIRST INTERVIEW: He’s an opera singer, one of Sydney’s most recognisable characters due to his famous hairstyle and owns a chain of cinemas. But now Roy Mustaca has come in at the 11th hour to purchase the popular Max Brenner cafe chain....despite conceding he knows nothing about chocolate.

Roy Mustaca has purchased the Max Brenner chocolate chain. Picture: (APP Pic/ Tim Pascoe)

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CINEMA mogul Roy Mustaca has bought the failing Max Brenner cafe chain to help out a friend and save 400 jobs.

But he was too late to save the franchise at Manly Wharf.

On Thursday Manly Wharf’s operators informed him staff and anything they wanted to be saved needed to be out by the end of the day.

Roy Mustaca outside the Max Brenner store in Manly Wharf. Picture: (APP Pic/ Tim Pascoe)

The bakery Sonoma will officially take over the lease on Saturday.

Mr Mustaca said he had tried everything to stop the closure of the cafe on the wharf and had offered to pay all the arrears and six months rent in advance.

“It’s very tough,” he said.

“We are now looking at opening opposite the wharf.”

Mr Mustaca said he wanted to keep hold of the 33 staff who work there but it might not be possible as fitting out a new shop could take some time.

Bob Magid, who owns Manly Wharf. Picture: (AAP IMAGE/Damian Shaw)

Meanwhile, Bob Magid, who owns Manly Wharf said he had cancelled the lease with the chocolate shop on November 25 when the company went into liquidation.

Despite many calls from Mr Mustaca this week, he said it was time for fresh blood.

“We think Sonoma is the best outcome,” Mr Magid said.

“We are excited and think it will be of great benefit to the wharf.”

Meanwhile, Mr Mustaca, who owns United Cinemas, with independent theatres around the country including Avalon, Warriewood and Collaroy, said he knew nothing about coffee and chocolate, but had bought the cafes to help “someone in need who has gone into liquidation”.

Mr Mustaca, an opera singer and one of the northern beaches’ most recognisable characters due to his famous quiff hairstyle, said he did not want to name the person.

“We did it to help him and to save 400 jobs,” he said.

“I’m very proud of that.”

Mr Mustaca, who lives in Collaroy, said the plan was to re-open as many of the Max Brenner cafes that had already closed.

He said this would only be possible if their partners, including shopping centres, agreed with the plan.

United Cinemas in Collaroy. which Roy Mustaca owns. Picture: Adam Ward

Another option would be to open Max Brenner outlets within his cinemas.

Mr Mustaca said once the cafe business had been sorted he would go back to concentrating on expanding his cinema empire.

He has multimillion-dollar plans to build a cinema complex in south west Sydney.

The state-of-the-art entertainment centre will deliver blockbuster entertainment, and is located between the entrances of Gregory Hills and Harrington Grove.

He told the Manly Daily those plans are on hold until the Max Brenner situation was settled.

He said although he did not know much about cafes, he didn’t know anything about cinemas, before he bought the Collaroy theatre 35 years ago and he had those a success.