Patrick Hughes: Alumni Profile
Can you tell us a little about your journey since leaving CCGS?
Where do I start. Since leaving CCGS I鈥檝e moved between Newcastle, Sydney, Wagga Wagga, Yamba, and now finally back home. I started two different degrees, travelled a lot, opened a cafe in Grafton, closed a cafe in Grafton, opened a cafe in Terrigal, got married and now have my first daughter.
What is your fondest memory or experience from your time at CCGS?
There are too many to reflect on. The New Zealand sports tour in Year 10 is something I still fondly remember. As far as the teachers go, the fact that I have socially caught up with teachers that taught me 19 years ago shows the calibre of staff employed at CCGS.
What inspired you to start Luna and then Little Luna caf茅s? Was there a particular moment or influence that brought this venture to life?
For me it was to make a living out of an industry that often isn't considered a profession. Something that I enjoyed with freedom, flexibility and that was socially engaging. I wanted to push boundaries and not be another carbon copy. In 2019 COVID hit when I was studying radiography at CSU in Port Macquarie, so I was unable to complete my placement that year. An opportunity arose to buy a small commercial premises in Grafton. We gutted it, renovated it, ran it as a cafe for 18 months while we lived up there and it's now currently leased out to another food premise. We learnt a lot from our mistakes during our first cafe attempt in Grafton. I had the opportunity to open a cafe back home in Terrigal, and this is how Luna was born - a more polished version of what we set out to achieve in Grafton.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when opening your caf茅s, and how did you overcome them?
Cash flow, staffing, competition and over-saturation in the market. When you first open you need to finesse your workflow processes. It鈥檚 a balancing act between over capitalising and spending enough to allow your business to grow.
On the flip side, what has been the most rewarding part of running your own business?
Being creative and showing people that breakfast doesn't have to be boring. The more our reputation has grown, the more it has allowed us to try and create dishes outside the box. Having found a good team has also been very rewarding.
The atmosphere of a caf茅 is often crucial to its success. How did you conceptualise the unique atmosphere of Luna and Little Luna, and how do you want your customers to feel when they walk in?
I feel that atmosphere can be linked directly to the owner and staff. When we look to hire, we find we often attract people with similar personalities. Our space is welcoming, comfortable and you can always have a joke with any member of our team.
As a CCGS alumnus and a local business owner, how important is the community to your caf茅s?
It plays a huge part. Even though I had been away from the Central Coast for over a decade, when we opened the doors, friends, family and school acquaintances all flocked in to support us. In fact, people often joked it was a CCGS reunion down at Luna, particularly in the early days. We've also had a strong CCGS alumni as part of our working team.
What can we expect from Luna and Little Luna in the coming years?
In addition to Luna and Little Luna, there is now Luna at the Green (our coffee trailer at Green Point) and we are a few weeks away from opening a cafe/restaurant, named Olive, in Saratoga. I have a few more ideas in mind, how quickly they get rolled out really depends on when opportunities present themselves and... whether I can get the big boss (my wife) on board.
Looking back on your journey so far, what is one piece of advice you would give to students aspiring to have a career in hospitality?
Look at the industry and work out what you think you can improve, find a niche. If you do ever open your doors, have a good buffer in the bank (whatever you spend on the initial outlay, you should have as your backup) and focus on perfecting what you do in house. Be prepared to slog it out. But know that it gets easier if you do it right. You should set targets, for example aim at getting your business to run at 90-95% of what it's capable of, without you needing to be there.
