The Gold Coast Bulletin (Australia)
February 15, 2008 Friday
B – Main Edition
Mano’s dishes it up at Coombabah
A restaurateur with a prolific record on the Gold Coast has stepped
into a new setting – in the middle of a garden centre.
Mano Karo, who in the past 19 years has owned 14 restaurants, has
leased the restaur-ant-cafe at the Ross Evans Garden Centre at
Coombabah.
The business, in a water-themed building, has previously been
operated by the garden centre’s owners.
Mr Karo, a 67-year-old Armenian who has lived in Australia for 45
years, has named the new business Mano’s Watergarden Cafe.
Gerard Coorey, of CB Richard Ellis, has negotiated a five-year lease
with a five-year option for Mr Karo.
“The garden centre’s owners have had first-hand experience of Mr
Karo’s capabilities, having been diners at his restaurants,” said Mr
Coorey.
“They are confident that he is the right person to maintain the
cafe’s enviable reputation.”
The leasing rate for the premises has not been disclosed.
Mr Karo was a restaurateur in Tasmania before moving to the Gold
Coast 20 years ago.
His first venture was the Raphael Char Grill, at Paradise Point,
which he opened in November, 1988, and he has since operated
restaurants as far south as Broadbeach Today, in addition to the
garden-centre cafe, Mr Karo operates Mano’s Kitchen, at The Atrium
resort at Biggera Waters and Bistro 3, and Mano’s Pizza at Chirn
Park.
His restaurants specialise in home-style Mediterranean cooking.