Working in a business that’s up for sale is a tough gig. I know this from personal experience: in your head you’ve left, but your body has to keep turning up day in and day out and being as chirpy and enthusiastic as you were the day you opened the doors. So when I saw that the Gecko was up for sale my heart sank a wee bit. If keeping your end up in a business that’s for sale is tough, doing so in cafe or restaurant is ten times tougher.
It was Sunday morning when I puttered by on the bike. I could have made myself a coffee at home, and I could have made myself a bacon roll – I had all the fixins – but some days you just want shop-bought.
I ordered a bacon and egg roll (with, of course, barbecue sauce) and mug of coffee. I don’t normally go for the mug but I’ve found that since I’ve moved to the Ridge this new bat-crazy freak that was living inside of me has burst out and smashed all the habits I’ve nurtured over a lifetime. I barely know myself any more. So a mug it was.
I sat outside with the smokers. A man was having a phone conversation and then repeated everything to his clearly uncomfortable co-diners (I won’t say “friends”). “After all I did for her, she says this! After what she did to me!” Co-diners nod and stare desperately into their coffees. “I said to her, ‘You really gonna do that?’ She just laughed. Bitch.”
There’s a nice view of closed or abandoned shopfronts leading up to the servo.
When my roll and coffee arrived I took a picture of it. Again, that crazy man.
If you told me, when I was lad, that one day I’d eat bacon and eggs in “Turkish bread” I’d have laughed or rounded up a posse of like-minded yokels to run you out of town with pitchforks. Turkish bread? That’s as nonsensical as “French beer” or “Indian food”. But times change.
This was an absolutely perfect bacon and egg Turkish bread roll. I know! Coffee was great too.
Anyway, if you’d like to invest in a thriving business, call Sara or Dave on 02 6829 2652.