It was love that brought Nina Kourea to Newcastle. After 18 years in Wollongong she was ready for a sea change.
She relocated to Newcastle over a year ago where she first began freelancing as a photographer and cook. In Wollongong she'd been running her food touring and cooking school business.
She was excited to look for new opportunities in her new town and thus was born Cantina Kafe, at 1 Tudor Street, Newcastle West.
Kourea had always wanted to run her own café, but she knew it was a bit of a gamble. But the first-generation Australian is a business woman, raised by parents from Cyprus who owned takeaway shops in Sydney.
Born in Surry Hills and raised in Mascot, she wasn't afraid of a risk.
So she realised it was a great opportunity that came up in Newcastle West - a café on the ground floor of the Wotso co-working space in Newcastle West. It came with six months free rent, and was just minutes from her house.
Cantina Kafe was born in November of 2023.
"One of the reasons I opened was to build a new community, and I already have met so many wonderful customers," Kourea says.
"At first I was going to do coffee and toasties. My partner was like 'why don't you do Greek food?' People come in and tell you a connection they have with Greek people. It's nice."
From helping her parents during childhood to freelancing in kitchens, working as a professional waiter and doing high class catering, she's done it all, including arts school.
One thing she knows: she loves food and sharing food.
In her café she serves Suspension coffee beans, now roasted in Sydney. She makes Ellenikos Kafes (Greek coffee).
Popular food dishes she makes include chicken souvlaki, beef Kofta, baklava, and spanakopita.
"I make everything from scratch, dolmades, the baklava made fresh on the premises," she says.
Her website, ninacantina.com, has a page dedicated to the café which includes the menu, including Cypriot and Geek eats and also gluten free and vegan options.
"Customers come in and say 'cook me whatever you want, I want to have a dinner' and I just choose the menu. That's my favourite" she says.
Located on Tudor street, Cantina Kafé is not easy to reach. Kourea says parking is definitely an issue, though "people make it work."
"This area is interesting because the development going on around this area. It's gentrifying; there are two massive apartments going up. It's going to be constantly changing," she says.
Many of her customers are builders, staff from The Base Health next door and the Catholic Diocese nearby. She meets teachers, backpackers going to the bus stop and people waiting to get their car serviced.
Cantina Kafé is growing. She's almost to the point where she'll have to hire staff. She's always been an advocate of supporting local business and shopping local, so she's pleased people are reciprocating the support.
Cantina Kafé is open Monday Friday 7:30am to 2.30pm. Kourea has plans for more events coming soon. Follow her on Instagram @cantina_kafe to see the changing menu and events.
