Morgie and Johno Lyons are the new owners of Copper on Highgate and have been on the job for about three weeks.
The pair already own The Kingston Flyer Cafe and Bar, in Kingston at the southern end of Lake Wakatipu, and moved to Dunedin at the start of the year to be closer to family.
Ms Lyons said she remembered her first visit to Copper about seven years ago.
She "really enjoyed" the cafe, but more recently discovered it was not quite the same as she remembered it.
"We found out it was for sale and so we thought, well we might as well buy it because we can probably bring a bit of central Queenstown vibe to Copper, or kind of bring it to how I remember it seven years ago."
It was in a good location, with great front-facing windows and a nice outdoor area, she said.
The vibe they were going for was not super high end and they wanted to add a laid-back option to the neighbourhood.
"It’s what we’re used to. It’s kind of like how we like to live", Ms Lyons said.
"I think sometimes restaurants can be really fancy, and that’s not really what we’re going for because we want people to feel comfortable."
Ms Lyons said a lot of people she had talked to had not been to Copper in quite some time, but had indicated they were keen to come back.
She hoped Dunedin would take to their Central Otago additions — which would include a selection of wines and specialty coffee — but they were also keen to keep things local and planned to meet Dunedin suppliers and distilleries.
They were also looking at options for hosting smaller events at the cafe for groups under 50.
They planned to keep the cafe’s layout the same, including the copper lighting, timber doors, counters, bay windows and of course the Copper name — at least for now.
"We don't want to change too much in the way of naming.
"There's been so much change happen in that business, it would just be good to let it settle for a bit and find its way to where it needs to be for us."
