SEEKING a space to feel a bit more like home, restaurateurs Alex and Katie Potikul are bringing a little taste from Warrnambool to Ballarat.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The couple has taken a heritage-listed place, tucked in behind Johnny Alloo, to transform into a fresh, bright space to offer their authentic Thai cuisine by night and Thai-Aussie cafe fusion by day.
They can hardly wait to properly settle into the city they call home.
For the past couple of years, Katie has been based in Ballarat with the couple's three children largely for their schooling.
On weekends they would travel to Alex to help the running of Cattleya Thai in Warrnambool, a restaurant seating 100-plus diners they had built up for about 12 years.
"It's time to try something different," Alex said. "We prefer Ballarat, for the kids and every weekend we were driving back. We're familiar with Ballarat now and want to try a new location...We would like it to be a small, family business, and we're trying to downsize."
The couple plans to keep the Warrnambool restaurant but run by Alex's cousin, to allow them a chance to put their full attention into their Ballarat venture.
Finishing touches are all-but-complete, with Cattleya Thai and Flory Cafe set to open on Wednesday.
Cattleya Thai Ballarat, for evening dining and takeaway, will offer a similar authentic Thai menu to what they offer in Warrnambool.
Flory Cafe, open daily, will be their new Ballarat-only twist in what they say is "Aussie and Thai".
Katie said they hope to tap into a busy spot in town, nestled across the road and between the city's hospitals on Mair Street. Central, Katie said, but where finding a park for evening dining was far easier to access than in the city's main foodie precincts.
This was particularly important to them in developing their takeaway business.
READ MORE
Finding tradespeople has been tough for Katie and Alex in Ballarat. Instead, they sought help from their network in Warrnambool - right down to the flowers - to ensure they could get the space ready sooner.
Katie had a friend who offered Ballarat-inspired oil paintings to decorate the walls. There are scenes from Ballarat Wildlife Park and Ballarat trams and a tilt to their Warrnambool restaurant among the collection.
There is also a small outdoor cafe courtyard designed to also feel a little like home amid the medical precinct bustle.
Cattleya Thai opens next to Johnny Alloo, which has become a mainstay on the Mair and Drummond streets corner. Johnny Alloo, named after Ballarat's first restaurateur, opened about four years ago in a restored 1870s building.
Have you tried The Courier's app? It can be downloaded here.
