Two special businesses - the and amazing people who run them - were recognised with appreciated certificates at the Business Excellence Awards.
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Specifically recognised were the former owners of Black Cat Café and Deniliquin Toyota.
Bruce (BI) and Steve Holloway - Deniliquin Toyota
Steve and Bruce Holloway are proud locals who have, in their own words, built relationships that spanned across generations in their 40-year family ownership of Deni Toyota.
Together, they experienced economic downturns, a global pandemic, personal battles and a shifting automotive landscape.
Through it all, they did what the best type of businesses do and kept their focus on their customers and on their community.
During this time, the Holloways had a team of up to 30 employees across the business and employed locals when they could.
Many were there for most of the journey, including apprentices and family members.
Deniliquin extends heartfelt congratulations to Bruce and Steve on the amazing business they built and ran so well, and offers sincere thanks for their remarkable generosity and unwavering support of our community over the decades.
Greg and Rosie Savellis - Black Cat Café
Greg and Rosie Savellis with Deniliquin Business Chamber treasurer Paula Rutter.
Photo by
Rebecca Flisher
If you are a local, there is no doubt that your Friday night dinner at some point would have come from the legendary Black Cat Café - long regarded as the region’s best fish and chips (and potato cakes).
Greg and Rosie’s Black Cat Café was to Deni what Doyles on the Beach at Watson’s Bay is to Sydney.
They are no strangers to the Business Excellence Awards; in fact, they are past winners.
It was 1985 when Greg and Rosie took over the business, and for almost 40 years they worked side-by-side, seven days a week.
Their sons Stan and George were little boys when their tenure began, and Cassie, their daughter, was born soon after.
Deniliquin Business Chamber did some research on the moniker ‘the Black Cat’ and found that in Britain, Ireland, Scotland and in Asian countries, a black cat is thought to bring fortune. Sailors would also often keep black cats on a ship as a good luck omen.
Deni certainly had good luck with Greg and Rosie running the café for 39 years.