Megan, who grew up in South West Rocks, has returned to the region after spending more than 10 years in Sydney.

The 31-year-old visited home with her partner Tom and the two knew they had to find a way to return to the majestic Macleay.

“I have always loved the area and Tom instantly fell in love with how beautiful it is here,” Megan told the Argus.

“I had heard there was an opportunity to get the lease for the Old Cheese Factory and so we decided to take a chance, quit our jobs and open a restaurant.”

The restaurant will be open from Wednesday to Sunday and the couple believe they can offer the community a new special hub for a variety of different events and in particular weddings.

“It’s a beautiful place for a wedding and there’s also two options. They can have a warehouse wedding in the venue or they can have it in the restaurant, with the beautiful river as their backdrop,” Megan said.

“We will also cater for other celebrations such as birthdays, engagement parties and any other special occasion.

“And of course, we will be open for breakfast and lunch from Wednesday to Sunday and for ‘Sundowners’ on Friday and Saturday night.”

The couple want to give the community a place they can “relax and unwind”.

“We want this to be a place for local people to come and feel special,” Tom said.

“We will deliver standout customer service, create a place to relax, unwind, enjoy great food and a beverage in front of a beautiful waterfront view.

“We hope this will be the place to be on a Friday and Saturday night, our ‘Sundowners’ will hopefully become popular as it’s a great place to enjoy our tapas menu and a drink while the sun goes down.”

The couple have also set in place actions to support other local businesses.

“We are trying to use as many local businesses as we can, we are on board with the Bucket Brewery, Balls Butchery, Costa Honey, Pick of the Crop, Chai Time and will continue to use as many local products as possible,” Megan said.

“We will also have a local artist play live music once a month on a Saturday afternoon.”

The restaurant will serve modern Australian meals, seafood and has a special Tapas menu which is perfect to have when enjoying the 'Sundowners'.

Garden Bar & Kitchen will also serve Allpress freshly roasted coffees in the morning and throughout the day which are available for takeaway.

Megan and Tom both have experience in the hospitality and events industry and encourage feedback.

“We are just testing the waters and are open to suggestions and feedback from our customers,” Megan said.

Stay ahead with local news by signing up for the Macleay Argus newsletter here.

Also making the news: