A week after COVID restrictions were lifted, diners were already returning to Illnara Korean Restaurant in droves.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"People came back quite quickly," Ron O'Connor said.
"Within the first week we realised, 'Wow, they've all missed us that much.'"
Mr O'Connor helps out his wife and owner of the restaurant Kyung O'Connor.
In the six years the couple have operated the restaurant they have grown it from a store with limited opening hours to trading five days a week for lunch and dinner.
Along the way, Mr O'Connor said returning customers, many of whom are university students studying away from home, became like family.
"They call my wife Mum, and they call me uncle, we have very fond memories."
Now, the O'Connor's have decided to retire, and are looking for the next operators to run the restaurant which has become a home away from home for many of its clientele.
"The students are just really nice. Quite often they'll come in and just give you a hug on the way in and on the way out, it's very family oriented," Mr O'Connor said.
For most of the time they have run the restaurant, Illnara was the only Korean restaurant in Wollongong, besides the Korean BBQ inside the Wollongong Hellenic Club. Mrs O'Connor had previously run restaurants in Korea and Mr O'Connor was previously a tennis coach. The couple had operated a wholesale import business in Queensland, but decided to move back to Mr O'Connor's home-town of Wollongong.
After purchasing the business from the previous operator, the business slowly began to attract a dedicated customer base through word of mouth.
The business focused on providing authentic Korean dishes, including Korean Fried Chicken, hot pot dishes and Korean barbecue sets, which customers tend to at hot plates at the table themselves.
Many of the regulars were students who knew Korean-style dishes prior to coming to Wollongong to study and brought along friends to enjoy the share-style meals.
Unfortunately, with this demographic hit hard by COVID restrictions and border closures, during the pandemic Illnara lost many of its regulars who headed back home.
But, utilising delivery platforms the kitchen was able to stay open and connect with new customers who found the business by scrolling through one of the apps.
"A lot of people tried it that would probably have not tried it," Mr O'Connor said.
Despite this, and with delivery businesses taking 30 per cent of the sale price, Illnara had to cut down on staff, with it just being Mr and Mrs O'Connor in the store at times.
Once restrictions lifted and business picked back up again, Mr O'Connor said the couple decided it was time to call it quits and enjoy retirement. Mr O'Connor said he hoped the next operator would continue to provide a home away from home for the business's regulars.
"We are hoping that a family group will take it over."
Until then, the store remains open five days a week and ready to welcome new customers home.
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on the Illawarra Mercury website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. Sign up for a subscription here.
