Sisters Raquel and Meni Jaque are excited by the opportunities that are now possible at their much-loved Lili J Cafe.

Originally confined to two rooms of an old florist shop on Corrimal Street, they finally completed their expansion into the adjacent house they had always had their eye on in April 2024.

Combining the two buildings, and expanding into the front garden and backyard, has created an eclectic space brimming with possibilities.

“We wanted to keep the structure of a home with rooms that create zones with different feels,” says Raquel, who is studying interior design.

Now they’ve spent some time settling into the extra space, and working out how to best manage it, they are full of ideas.

“We are creatives. We’ve put our spin on the space and now we want to make the most of it,” she says.

However – with Raquel’s background in project administration, Meni’s passion for hospitality, and the work involved in being owner-operators open seven days a week – they believe in making haste slowly.

“We don’t want to go gung-ho just because we can,” says Raquel.

“If we do something, we want to do it well.”

As a start, early in the new year they’ll begin doing pop-up theme nights once a month.

“The pop-ups will be a great way to test the water and see how we go,” she says.

“We want to do some theme nights that are about our Chilean and Spanish culture and heritage.

“We are excited about bringing Chilean food to Wollongong, in a way that keeps it vibrant and fresh.”

Then there are the opportunities presented by their newly minted liquor licence and the way that the rooms lend themselves to being closed off for events.

“We are also working to increase the amount of produce grown in our greenhouse out the back, and maybe celebrating that with a special night in the garden,” says Raquel.

They are already utilising its spinach, edible flowers and micro-herbs, with the tomatoes almost there.

The credit for the greenhouse, and the abundant greenery throughout the cafe and in its front garden, goes to their horticulturalist sister-in-law – part of the family involvement that has been important in making the place what it is.

Their father used his boiler-making skills to create the metalwork elements throughout the space, including the impressive front fence. He’s also been a great help with the renovations.

“From the get-go we have had a philosophy that everyone is welcomed and we want them to feel like they are at home here,” says Raquel.

“We are lucky with the location we have in that there is a lot of people living nearby. There are repeat customers we see every day and we’ve got to know their lives.”

This community feeling was strengthened during Covid, and helped them move on when their earlier venture – Meni on Crown Street – was destroyed by fire.

The sisters, who have been business partners for almost 12 years, recognise eating out is becoming a luxury for many and take that responsibility seriously.

“We like people to feel like they are going to be fed well,” says Raquel.

“Our food is pretty homely and eclectic. We don’t stick to one type of thing. Whatever is going to be delicious and in season is what we will do.”

Lili J Cafe is at 1/156 Corrimal St, Wollongong, (02) 42674829.