Meet the Bar Monti family and the story behind their fresh ideas

Head chef and owner of the new Italian restaurant titled 'Bar Monti', Jamie Sverdrupsen said one of the biggest draw points that made them want to buy the business from former owner Janine Ballard was its location.

"We loved the space it used to be when it was known as Vicolo and saw the potential in it," he said.

Jamie and his wife Kat Harley decided they'd completely re-vamp the restaurant, changing the layout and even knocking down the old bar to re-create a new space.

"We knocked out the bar in the back and put it at the front of the restaurant so that people could sit at the bar and have a full meal if they wanted to, while having a chat to the barman," Jamie said.

Kat said they received a lot of help from family and friends during the renovation phase, including help from her brother Declan, who used his designer skills to make up the logo.

One of the big drawcards to the restaurant is the freshly made pasta, something the young couple decided to carry on from the former owner Janine.

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"The beautiful pasta making machine that Janine bought is one of two in Australia and she also sourced some of the best semolina flour you can buy in Australia so I just decided to keep that going but add my own flavours to it," he said.

Jamie worked in Italian cuisine for two years in Sydney before moving back to the Sapphire Coast and said he was excited to bring his experience of experimenting with new flavours to Italian dishes.

While the Italian restaurant has been previously known as more of a fine dining location over the years, the young parents decided they'd open the business up to being a more casual, family-friendly setting.

"We want everyone to feel welcome, you can be dressed up or down it doesn't really matter so long as you have a good time," Kat said.

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Kat said they wanted to open up the dinner service an hour earlier, at 5pm, to cater for young families.

"A lot of our friends have liked that about our place because there aren't many places where you can go out to eat with young kids," she said.

Jamie and Kat grew up in the Bega Valley and first met at the Merimbula Lakeview Hotel 15 years ago.

Several years later the couple decided to move back to raise their kids in their hometown.

"We've been very busy and the business has been really well received, having such a big family we've also received lots of support since we've opened," Jamie said.

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