‘Strong minded’ cancer survivor to open cafe in western Sydney
A resilient survivor who lost sight in both his eyes will open his own cafe later this year in Sydney’s west.
Craig Shanahan lost the vision in his left eye aged just three years-old after being diagnosed with cancer a year earlier. As a young man in his 20s Shanahan was training to be a sous-chef when he was diagnosed with a huge brain tumour.
While the tumour was successfully removed, he lost the sight in his other eye. But that didn’t deter him from chasing his dream of opening his own café.
“I’m a very strong minded person,” he told the Daily Telegraph.
“When I became blind, you really realise … there’s nothing else that I wanted to do, so I thought, ‘Why not chase my dream and give it a go?’.”
He is now in the process of securing a lease in the Penrith area and aims to open The Blind Chef Cafe and Dessert Bar within three months.
The venue will operate as a cafe during the day, and from late afternoon the kitchen will serve tapas, desserts, wines and craft beer.
Shanahan is in the process of securing a lease in the Penrith area, and hopes to have the venue up and running within three months after he finds the right location.
“As a chef I’ve always had a dream of opening my own cafe with or without someone,” he said. “I think it’s just my personality.”
Sheridan Randall, 27th May 2019
