It’s a tale as old as time: boy meets girl, they move from Thailand to Australia, open a café and become an integral part of the Shepparton community.
Now, 18 years later, John and Yao O’Donoghue, along with their daughters, Jia and Jess, have officially sold the Last Straw Café and passed the torch of their empire to new owners.
Eldest daughter Jia said the announcement of the family moving on revealed the impact the café had on people’s lives.
“A lot of people already knew it was coming and the rumours had been circulating for a while now, but we did a Facebook post to officially publicise it and the love and support has been incredible,” she said.
“So many people have taken the time to write messages — paragraphs worth!”
On behalf of the family, John wanted to thank all those that had supported and made the Last Straw what it is today.
“We’ve become entwined in people’s lives, and they’ve become more than customers — they’ve become friends,” he said.
“As both parties have gotten to know each other, it’s gone deeper than just small talk.”
The Last Straw has been a landmark of Shepparton’s food scene and, thanks to Yao’s unbelievable cooking, has opened people’s eyes to Thai cuisine.
“Yao’s had great pleasure from people enjoying the food,” John said.
“She’s seen many people come in only ordering safe dishes, then transform over time to eat things like pad ka pow, which they never would’ve dreamt of the first day they arrived here, and that’s come through trusting Yao.”
Jia said she had seen many of their customers grow with the shop.
“Over the 18 years, we’ve had people come in that have recently moved to Shepparton, eventually found partners, and then a family, and then we’ve had the privilege of seeing their family grow,” she said.
“We’ve been part of lots of milestones ... It’s been special and we couldn’t thank our customers enough for embracing us in the community.”
The next chapter for the O’Donoghue family is uncertain.
Who knows, maybe John’s classic dad jokes and the aroma of Yao’s cooking will be experienced again in future endeavours.
But for now, the family are reconnecting with their roots, with a trip to Thailand and a well-deserved break to be enjoyed by all.
“The building lives on, as well as the foundation and legacy we built,” John said.
“The diversity of cultures continues, with the new owners being of Malaysian and Indian backgrounds.
“The strength of Shepparton is in its multiculturalism, and people have really embraced that.”
The O’Donoghues wish the new owners support and success in their former home.
The Last Straw will reopen under new management on Tuesday, January 10, with business hours as usual.