Cut Lunch Deli, where customers love the staff as much as the sandwiches

That instinct shows up in combinations most people wouldn't think to put together.

"I love putting strange food together, but it has to work. Balance, you know, you sit at the forefront. Always balance your food."

Sandwiches, in particular, go back a long way for Libby.

"I've loved sandwiches all my life. As I said, like we have an Australian family: sandwiches in my lunchbox, that sort of thing."

But the clearest memory, and the one that still shapes the menu today, is a childhood holiday ritual.

"The biggest memory is beach holidays. We would go to Crescent Head Beach and we'd be at the beach all day, come home at two o'clock, we'd go by the bakery and get fresh bread rolls. And that's when we'd make the sandwich: a homemade spread or something like that, and then it would have cheese, red onion, tomato, lettuce, and some sort of salami or whatever we could get from the deli."

Today, that sandwich is one of Cut Lunch Deli's most popular menu items.

"That sandwich, it's called the Obviously Good. It's always on. And it sells super well, because people love something that's just good quality produce. It's delicious, it's easy, but it's thoughtful."

For all the care that goes into the food, Libby says the biggest challenge, and the biggest joy, of running the business has been the people. Hiring the right manager, in particular, changed how the business runs day to day.

"Sunday, the manager, has completely changed the game for us. I'm not good at the hospitality element of owning a venue. I can do the food, I can run it, I can do the running of the store, I can make it happen, I can turn coffees, I can do whatever. But actually building that community, which is what has allowed us to actually grow and continue to grow,  is because I've been able to hire the people that can actually do that building."

"The thing that I've really learned is that hospitality actually is what brings people back in the door. Even though I make these amazing sandwiches and I know they're really good, we'll get a one-star review and it'll be like, 'amazing sandwich, service was so-so' And you're like, okay, yeah, that's so fair."

"You can be at the worst restaurant, but having the best time of your life because the staff is so nice to you. It feels good, and you've got great company."

"When I learned that and realised that, and then put the money into good staff, it opened it up. Because I can do the food, but I couldn't do the front."

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