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Finally ready to take the wraps off its new facade, OCo and The Juice will be one of Church Street's newest businesses when it opens in a couple of weeks - 'hopefully'.
The brainchild of local Kelly O'Connor, OCo and The Juice will aim to provide juices and convenient meals for people looking for something healthy or are too busy to cook healthy at home.
Speaking with the Mudgee Guardian, Kelly said she decided to start the business as an answer to a problem she she saw often.
"I wanted to solve my own problems I guess. I have young children and I was time poor so I wanted something that was going to be convenient for my family," she said.
"In terms of food options in town - on my lunch breaks I would think 'what can I get to eat, that I know I'm going to be making good decisions if I go in there' and do it every day.
"We're doing meal prep as well, so there's a lot times where I don't feel like cooking of a night time but I want my kids to be eating healthy and I don't want to eat pizza every night, so where is somewhere I can get affordable meals for my family that I don't have to cook myself?
"That's kind of why I decided Mudgee needed something like this."
The business will employ a handful of full-time staff as well as local chef Blake Joseph. It will be open seven days a week and will deliver with ordering done via an app.
Kelly said she's had a lot of interest from both locals and people out of town wanting to know when she's opening and what the business will offer.
"I kind of wanted a place that encapsulated all of the things I seek when I leave Mudgee. I go to the beach or I go to the city and I look for these things, and I do it all while I'm there and I come back and think 'there's options lacking for me and my family', so that's kind of where it came from," she said.
"So fingers crossed people like it. I'm hoping that I solve a lot of problems for a lot of people (laughs).
"People are really, really excited and so supportive. Mudgee loves supporting local people and something new in town does generate a lot of excitement. So I'm hoping to live up to their expectations."
For Kelly, this is a solo venture, something she wanted to do for herself. She wanted to encourage other young women out there to be bold and try something new.
"I want to encourage young people and women to do things in town," she said.
"Mudgee is a great place to - it's a town of opportunity if you want to have a go. There is room for other ideas here especially in such a supportive little town.
"Most of the people sticking their head in asking what we're about have been from Sydney or elsewhere, it's opened my eyes to the whole demographic in town."
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