Cairns cafe mainstay for sale as owners retire
OPPORTUNITY is knocking for someone to gain a foothold in the Cairns hospitality scene with one the city’s oldest cafes hitting the market.
Mouth Trap Cafe owners Yvonne and Paul Robinson are ready to call it a day after eight years at the helm of the Sheridan St greasy spoon.
The cafe has been dishing up coffees, breakfasts and burgers for more than20 years but is now ready for a new set of custodians to take the reins.
“We moved here 10 years ago from Auckland and thought we would buy a cafe, and the rest is history,” Mrs Robinson said. “We stepped aside after a while and our son and daughter-in-law took over, but they’ve now moved to Perth so we had to come back.
“That’s why we’re leaving.
“We’ve had it for eight years and it needs some fresh blood.”
The Robinsons plan to “semi-retire”, which basically translates to travelling as much as possible.
The Mouth Trap has prided itself on offering up some of the cheapest feeds in Cairns and has developed a loyal following – not least with the city’s taxi drivers, many of whom are regulars.
Mrs Robinson said the cafe’s big, juicy burgers were its most famous offerings and she had some tips for prospective owners.
“Be open-minded, able to have a laugh and a listening ear,” she said. “We’ve got a very loyal following and our customers have become our friends.
“You go through all their problems and everything else with them.
“We’ve had some great times and great laughs, but it’s time to move on.”
The owners are asking for $90,000 for someone to take over the business and drive it through its next stage in life.
THE MOUTH TRAP HAS A LOYAL FOLLOWING — NOT LEAST WITH THE CITY’S TAXI DRIVERS.