The man behind Kempsey's Lou's Cafe reflects on 42 years at the helm

Lou’s Cafe Restaurant opened on Kempsey’s Belgrave Street over four decades ago. With the atmosphere of a retro American diner right off the silver screen, countless locals and tourists have enjoyed good conversation, food and drinks within its film poster-lined walls.

🍽️ Meet the owner: “Building something successful has been my drive,” owner Lou Kesby tells the Mid North Coaster.

“To do what I’ve done, you’ve got to adapt to change, have creative marketing, good management and a willingness to work hard. And you’ve got to be optimistic. If you’re not optimistic about what you do, get the hell out of it.”

We meet in Kesby’s Balinese-themed sunroom, where his ragdoll cat Louis sleepily saunters around on various surfaces.

“He’s spoiled rotten,” Kesby says. 

His wife, Kath, brings us tea and homemade liquorice slices. 

“Chemo knocked the crap out of me,” Kesby says, reflecting on cancer treatment he received. This, along with staff shortages, led him to temporarily reduce the hours at the cafe.

 “7am until 3pm is still a good day. We’re still busy and we still pack out through breakfast and lunch. I’ve got a great group of girls down there and they’ve got a great manager. Paula runs the business and has been with me for 27 years or so. She is fantastic.”

The feeling is mutual. When we meet Paula at the cafe, it’s clear she holds him in high esteem.

 “He’s one special man, to stick it out as long as he has,” she says. “My hat goes off to him. He’s taught me everything I know.”  

Born and bred in Kempsey, Kesby was educated at St John’s Woodlawn College in Lismore then returned home to work with a pharmaceutical company for about 15 years. He worked managing pharmacies for five years before buying the old Greek Milk Bar in 1983, which he then transformed into Lou’s Cafe.

 “It had been there forever and seemed like a good idea,” says Kesby. “I didn’t have a clue how to cook. I had a chef to train me, who I worked under for three years, then I became the head cook for the next 35.

“It was a bit hairy for a while; I was a good businessman, but I was a bit naïve in a way. I had a lot of debt from rebuilding the place, but we traded through it.”

🎥 Homage to another era of film: The crowds Lou’s Café experienced in its early days resulted in Kesby expanding into the premises next door in the early 1990s. He added the original movie posters that adorn the walls as an homage to the three movie theatres Kempsey once had.

“The last one standing was the famous Mayfair Theatre, an old-style place,” Kesby says. “You walked up the stairs and felt like you were a film star.”

 Kesby does not hesitate when I ask his favourite movie: “[The] Godfather. All of them.”

 Kesby is proud of his cafe’s cinematic style. 

“It’s a bit iconic for the coast, and it’s very popular. Somebody said to me the other day: ‘If Lou’s closed, the town would close.’ It’s a real hub. Tourists come by and ogle at it. The locals take it for granted.”

Lou has also added his own perks, like a booth where he likes to talk to locals. It’s known as “Sopranos Corner”.

“Over the years I’ve sat there and talked to mayors, priests, bishops, burgulars, thieves, everybody. We’ve had such conversations.”

Kesby was Deputy Mayor of Kempsey for a few years, and on its council in the 2010s.

 “My heart is in Kempsey,” he says. “So I tried to see what I could do to make it a better place. I counted up the other day that we’ve lost 50 businesses in 40 years.”

 But he remains optimistic.

 “Kempsey’s a solid and powerful town, and if people want to open a business here they will do well. I can really sing out about that. I was there before Maccas and KFC and I’ve lasted comfortably.”

As for the reduced hours, Kesby says “when I can get the right staff and I’m not ill, I would love to get back to normal. There’s business to be done after 3pm. And if you’re open, they’ll come”.