By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
SHE’S a local girl with a heart of gold … and Nola DeLorenzo hates being labelled a celebrity.
Because when she’s not filling fridges, mopping floors and washing dishes, Nolsy as she’s known, is making sure her regular customers, always get a seat at her Tooradin restaurant, Wings and Fins.
Since appearing on Channel Nine’s cooking show, the ‘Hotplate’, Nolsy has made a point of sticking by the locals who have, and always will stick by her.
“There was a local rumour going around during the Hotplate that we were booked out for three months in advance and that the locals couldn’t get a table,” Nolsy said.
“I didn’t want my regulars to miss out.”
So Nolzy did what she says any good business owner would – make fake bookings!
“I didn’t tell my staff, but I would make bookings in fake names so that if a regular or local walked in or called for a table I’d have one for them,” she said.
“Because that’s what you have to do in business, look after your regulars – and the locals appreciated it.”
But busy they were. After the first episode went to air, the Wings and Fins website and message bank crashed.
“We didn’t realise the phones could only take 49 messages so we had to up our plan and fix the website – it was hilarious,” Nolsy said.
The fun, country mum was made famous around Australia, for her loveable antics and for her fresh flown in crayfish – and 12 months on since the show’s filming, Nolsy is still reaping the rewards.
“We have people making special trips out here from right across Australia, not just Melbourne, we get people from Perth, Darwin, and Sydney who are on holidays,” she said.
But the attention on Tooradin hasn’t just heated up Nolsy’s kitchen.
“Sales are definitely up because of the Hotplate spotlight, we are busy all the time but when people can’t get in here they go to Tides Bar and Grill down the road, so it’s been great for the whole community and Kooweerup as well,” Nolsy said.
“So many people didn’t know where Tooradin was, including a lot of local people from Pakenham and Berwick and they’re coming in as well.
“I received an email from another Tooradin business owner saying thank you for putting Tooradin on the map and that part of it has been really good.”
