Her restaurant may not have taken the cake, but "My Restaurant Rules" contestant and former Leagues Club bar attendant Catherine Sgambellone was St George's sentimental favourite.
Miss Sgambellone, 24, worked at the Club as a casual bar and gaming attendant for 4 years before opening a city cafe and then auditioning for the hit TV show last year.
Her and brother Sam were selected to represent NSW from 36,000 Australian applicants for the latest twist in reality television.
Couples from five states were required to fit out a restaurant, hire staff, devise menus and then launch and run their new business at a profit.
Once the restaurants were opened, the public was invited to join the show.
Viewers then voted off couples until the grand prize - permission to keep your restaurant - was won by a Perth couple.
Unfortunately, the Sgambellones and their Cucina Vera (True Kitchen) restaurant in Crown Street, Surry Hills, was axed by fans five weeks before the show's conclusion.
"I think the fact we had the restaurant in Sydney was bit of a hard thing," Catherine said despite a hoarse voice following the finale night party.
"People are either too busy to vote or voters from other states love to hate NSW." "But I got great support from the Club - everyone was totally backing me up."
Catherine told the Journal the whole experience was ideal preparation for the brother and sister team's next project, an Italian restaurant somewhere in Sydney.
"It was brilliant," she said.
"A bit stressful and I hated it at times but it showed us that you can do anything when you put your mind to it.
"We had eight weeks and a really bad budget to open a restaurant, but we still managed to do it.
"Our relationship is definitely stronger for the experience.
It was a bit of a risk because we spent so much time together but we did not have any fights the whole time."
Catherine said she looks forward to repaying her Leagues Club fans with the best Italian meal money can buy at their new restaurant.
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St George Leagues Club
LEAGUES CLUB JOURNAL
