"What we pride ourselves on here at Sabah is that we're part of the community. It's an outlet for them. We get people that come for their morning coffees and come back for dinner with their family."
Of course, this is only possible because of the continuous service Sabah runs from early morning to midnight.
"The doors are always open. Guests can arrive at any time. It's just that feel-good feeling."
And feel-good they do with delicious Mediterranean–Middle Eastern fusion food cooked with loved and premium ingredients.
"We're known for our McSabah, our brekkie rolls. We deep-fry in tallow, so there are no seed oils. We use a lot of grass-fed meat. Our mince is done to order specifically for us. We try to do the best that we can."
Some of Sabah's best-loved features weren't in the original plan at all. The shisha offering, now a fixture, came directly from listening to customers.
"The shisha is something we introduced months into trade, just based on the request and the space. We were serving dinners and people wanted an outlet. So we started off serving it on the deck."
It’s just another example of how much Sabah provides for their customers.
"You get a lot of families that come — the parents chill and the kids play in the play area. You get couples, friends, families. It's a great little entertainment hub…the cafe is the nucleus, the heartbeat of a community."
To illustrate the point, Rarbie tells the story of a high-school principal from western Sydney who paused on her way to work.
"I love having a chat nice and early. She said she'd pit stop here. I gave her something, we had a nice little chat. We’re a touch point, and we let her know she's doing a great job, and we appreciate what she's doing. Coffee on the house goes a long way."
Actions like that are the literal definition of hospitality, which is why the venue is always busy.
"It's everyone's dream to own a cafe, but they don't know what goes on, what's required, how much energy and attention it takes to get a place up and going. People come in at times like Mother's Day and see the place absolutely buzzing, but they don't realise what effort and planning went into it — and how much effort is required to keep it burning."
Of course that’s the truth behind every great venue: nothing happens by accident, with every moment of delight is created by a labour of love by those who genuinely love what they do.
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