When Eimad Arnaout visited Goulburn earlier this year, he really liked the peace and quiet of the town.
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"My first visit to Goulburn was in January this year when I came here to visit family friends who had relocated to the city from Young few years back and loved it here," he said.
"I liked the place and the warmth people in Goulburn extended."
Eimad was living with his family in Sydney and working as a civil engineer after completing his studies at the University of Sydney.
It was during this time he made the decision to open a Lebanese Bakery in Goulburn.
"It has always been my mother Rouaida Arnaout's dream to be able to open a bakery," he said.
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"I thought that Goulburn presented a good opportunity to open the bakery and fulfill her dream."
Currently in the midst of setting up the bakery, he plans to relocate to Goulburn this month.
"We are planning to open the bakery by the middle of September," he said.
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"I have decided to take a break from my work in Sydney to be able to set it up and get it up and running."
"Unlike Sydney, which has several such Lebanese bakeries all over the city, I had not come across any such place in Goulburn."
The bakery is a long-cherished dream which is close to his heart and Eimad has decided to name it 'Cafe Nour'.
"The word 'Nour' means light in Arabic. The cafe is very dear to me and my family as it has been my mother's dream," he said.
"We decided to make it more special by naming it after my sister."
Being able to travel to Sydney where his family and friends reside is also one of the major factors that helped him make the decision.
"I personally enjoy the peaceful atmosphere here," he said.
"The place has close proximity to Sydney and Canberra, making it a convenient location to travel and visit my family."
Eimad is looking forward to bringing "some Lebanese culture".
"So far, I have received positive reviews from everyone here. It will be nice to see how it works," he said.
They still have to finish work on establishing food preparation areas in the new outlet.
"We want to treat the people in Goulburn to a nice experience," he said.
"We will try to ensure that they get a taste of Lebanese culture through our bakery as well."
The cafe will open at the former Cafe Merino premises on Auburn Street, opposite Harvest Cafe.
"Once we made up our minds, we signed a five-year lease through Peter Mylonas Property Solutions and are hoping for a warm response from the wonderful people here," he said.
"We look forward to serving some great Lebanese cuisine here."
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