Greenwich Deli: Social media influencer and sandwich supremo Johnny Moroney lists cult cafe in Newport

Nathan Mawby

First published 10 August 2023, 1:15pm

70 Hall St, Newport - for herald sun real estate

The Greenwich deli at 70 Hall St, Newport is up for sale.

A social media influencer and sandwich supremo who worked as a political adviser to the late Jane Garrett is selling the freehold to his cult cafe the Greenwich Deli.

Johnny Moroney’s datenightcooking handle has more than 144,000 followers on Instagram and almost 260,000 on TikTok.

For all his social media culinary cred, Mr Moroney started his professional life as an electrician before entering politics through the trade union movement.

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But he always had the idea of opening a cafe in the back of his mind and bought 70 Hall St, Newport, while working as a political adviser to the late member for Brunswick Jane Garrett in 2015.

While a refit of the one-time home got started turning it into a dining destination in 2019, the builder went bust. And it wasn’t until after the passing of Garrett that he made the cafe a reality and opened the Greenwich Deli in November last year.

Named for the town of Greenwich in England that Newport was briefly known as in the 1850s, it has developed a cult following from locals with almost 5000 followers for the Deli’s own Instagram account.

Locals regularly pack out the cafe.

The cafe also has 5,000 followers on Instagram.

Indoor and outdoor seating.

“We spent a lot on the fit-out, but it’s a space where the local community is proud to bring friends and family,” Mr Moroney said.

The Reuben sandwich and tuna melt are the most popular items on the menu, with the freehold being sold to help found two additional venues in Melbourne’s west.

Jellis Craig Inner-West’s Anthony Christakakis said the property would appeal to mum and dad investors hoping to get a piece of the popular suburb with a long-term tenant in place.

With a $750,000-$790,000 asking price the property is closer to the suburb’s $776,435 median unit value than the more than $1.224m cost of a typical house.

Bar tables and seating surround the exterior.

The large kitchen, where they make their popular Reuben sandwich.

“And the market doesn’t have a lot of placed that have as much hype as this in the inner west at the moment,” Mr Christakakis said.

Near other shops in the suburb, the Hall St cafe has become popular with locals, with many already reaching out to confirm the business isn’t leaving along with the sale.

“I’ve had calls from friends who go there for lunch wanting to check they aren’t selling the business,” Mr Christakakis said.

The building at 70 Hall St, Newport, goes under the hammer at 9.30am on September 2.