‘Miss Amelie Gourmet: David Kapay opens deli after restaurant closure
When COVID restrictions forced Wodonga restaurateur David Kapay out of business, he was down, but not out. Now he’s back with a vengeance, with his new deli, Miss Amelie Gourmet. Here’s how he did it.
Albury Wodonga
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A positive mindset and the drive to support his young family is what led David Kapay to open Miss Amelie Gourmet after he had to close his Wodonga restaurant due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Mr Kapay spent four years building his popular restaurant Miss Amelie before the pandemic hit and put a hold on his dreams.
“It was a pretty sad time. I had invest four years of my life getting it up and running and building the reputation that is has,” Mr Kapay said.
“It’s quite demoralising.
“We lost a lot of stock and had lost some staff.
“It sets you back financially and emotionally, but nothing lasts forever and in dark times you need to find the positives and this has come from that.”
After closing his restaurant, Mr Kapay reached out to friends on Facebook looking for work, and teamed up with family friends to work at local bakery Henri’s.
“We started making gourmet pies and they were a huge hit,” Mr Kapay said.
“And then a friend of mine, Ken Little, who is now my business partner, said ‘let’s do this on our own, let’s build something special’.
“With the way the world is it’s a potential back up for life after restaurants, and with the uncertainty of everything it seemed like a brilliant idea, there’s nothing like this in Wodonga.”
Miss Amelie Gourmet provides gourmet pies and take home meals; dried aged fish; their own pasta, steak and seafood sauces; wines from across the region and some champagne from France; fresh bread baked daily; sweets; and cheeses.
They have a retail store at 6 Michael Drive, Wodonga, or you can purchase from their website.
Since their launch September 9, Mr Kapay said Miss Amelie Gourmet has been growing in popularity.
“We had a massive response and a successful opening week,” he said.
“We had heaps of foot traffic and now we’re getting heaps of people ordering online.
“It’s gaining momentum and growing organically.
“We’re looking to branch outside of the region in Wagga and Canberra, and that’s on the horizon.”
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Contact Cassandra at cassandra.glover@news.com.au
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