After a job loss and a switch to working from home, a young couple has chased after their dream of becoming business owners.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Jess Inch and James Morgan opened up The Station Collective last Friday at the town's train station.
"My husband is a chef, and he lost his job at the beginning of COVID like so many people in that industry, and I was sent to work at home like most of the country," Ms Inch said.
"All of a sudden, we had time and space to think about what we wanted and what was important to us.
"We started planning this back in mid-March, so it's been a long time coming."
Ms Inch said being from the town, and her husband from Wagga, they both have a passion and love for the Coolamon community.
That paired with a background in hospitality and the timing seemed to make the perfect combination for starting a business.
"The way we think about travel and the way we think about regional NSW is changing. Coolamon is starting to welcome visitors from all over the state and all over the country," she said.
IN OTHER NEWS:
"We think it is a fantastic time to be a part of the business community. There's a real focus on buying local."
The cafe has been opened up inside the station which was built in the 1880s and is a heritage-listed building.
"Where our cafe is was originally the parcel room, and also the ticket office so there's heaps of history and it is an incredible building itself," Ms Inch said.
"We are also firm believers in what is old is old and what is new is new.
"We respected the building, and it's heritage in everything we did, but we didn't try to make things look older. It's a very modern-vibe cafe, but we are definitely paying homage to all of the special things about it and its history."
Ms Inch said they had great feedback for the first weekend and are looking forward to getting back in the cafe this weekend.
The Station Collective is open Friday to Sunday from 8am to 4pm at Coolamon Station.