Sammy-Jo’s off to the big city

A desire for new experiences has brought some changes to a Manjimup cafe nestled in the back of Garden View Court.

After 21/2 years of ownership, Bello Torta Cafe’s former owner Sammy-Jo Tetlow has sold the business and plans to move to Sydney in March.

Sammy-Jo was already working at Bello Torta when she bought the cafe off the former owner in June 2014.

Since then, she has helped and watched the business grow in an effort to provide an even more positive experience for customers.

“I love seeing people leave satisfied,” she said.

When she first took over Bello Torta, the business only had two staff members and two juniors and now has nearly 10 employees, including the junior staff.

Sammy-Jo said she had enjoyed every part of running her own business, from the team she worked with to the customers she served.

“There are customers who have turned into friends and regular faces I see every day,” she said.

“Of course, there have been challenges along the way – running a business is not as easy as people think – there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes.

“There’s a lot of long hours before and after the cafe is open each day.”

She will next month do a cocktail course to provide herself with more skills before she heads over to Sydney, where her ultimate goal is to get into hotel management.

“I’m moving to Sydney for higher experiences in hospitality, I wanted something different to cafe work but still wanted to work in customer service, which I love,” she said.

“I’d love to work at the Star Casino.”

Before she moved on, Sammy-Jo said she wanted to thank all her staff over the years for their dedication to the smooth running of the business.

“I was able to go away without worrying about the business, I could trust them 100 per cent to keep going without issue,” she said.

“I do want to give them a big thank you because without them, the business would not have run as well as it could have.”

Another, and just as important, thank you was also given to the customers of Bello Torta.

“Without them, there wouldn’t be a Bello Torta,” she said.

“Thank you for all the support over the 21/2 years, you have given me the strength and courage I never had beforehand.”

History is repeating itself for new owner Trish Keegan, who was working at the cafe before it was for sale.

“When I heard Sammy was selling, I jumped at the chance to buy,” she said.

“It has always been my dream to own a little cafe that still allowed me to be there for my kids.”

Trish moved from Tasmania with her husband and three children about four years ago and she said she acclimatised so well to the region because it was similar to her previous home.

“I’m all about supporting small local towns and I can’t wait for the continued support of our customers as well,” she said.

Upgrade plans include an internal paint job in the near future and an idea to expand the cafe’s floor space into an additional premises.

Trish thanked Sammy-Jo for the opportunity and wished her all the luck with her move east.

“She’s a great boss, she’s always fun and always got lots of energy,” she said.