It has been a tough year for Australian small businesses, and Maya Levy, owner of Edgy’s Cafe in Edgecliff, Sydney, has been watching other owners react on the hospitality pages she follows on social media.

“Everybody’s always saying the wages are changing, the super is changing, the card surcharges are changing. There’s always going to be something. What are you going to do? You just roll with it,” she says.

Maya opened Edgy’s in 2017 and has had to rebuild it from nothing once already. Wages and costs have climbed since, and how she deals with them explains why she is still here.

Nearly ten years in one shop teaches you which problems are yours

Edgy’s is a counter and a handful of tables in a row of shops, and takeaway and catering do most of the work. The business was in its first years when COVID hit and the shopping centre above Edgecliff station emptied out.

“The first year we shut down. The second year people started moving back in and I started rebuilding. The third year the effects started to disappear,” says Maya. “If we got through that, we can get through everything else.”

On the walk to work she listens to Joe Dispenza, to remind herself that habits of thought turn into habits of behaviour and that both can be retrained on purpose. “I used to let all of it get to me, and then I realised I was choosing to,” she says. “You can’t control the ATO or the government. You control your reactions. That’s it.”

Anyone can borrow her principle: before a change gets your attention, work out whether it’s something to act on or live with.

“Save your energy,” she says. “Running a cafe takes a lot of it, and maybe that’s why burnout is so common in hospitality.”

The cafe gets a little better every day

A cafe nearby has 60 seats, a commercial kitchen and omelettes on the menu.

“I’m never in competition with them or anyone else. I’m in competition with myself. Every day I need to come in and be better than I was yesterday,” says Maya.

The improvements are small and constant: a set of different chairs, a little bench, different bowls, whatever makes the room a bit better.

“A cafe is a never-ending creative project,” says Maya. “It’s also my little art gallery. That’s all my artwork on the wall.”

Maya Levy standing in Edgy's Cafe in front of a wall of framed portrait drawings she madeMaya asks herself the same three questions

“Keep checking in with yourself,” says Maya. “Are you okay with what you’re charging? Are you okay with the staff? Are you okay with how you’re dealing with customers?”

That last question sometimes gets tested at the counter.

“Someone came in and paid $11 for his ham, cheese and tomato, and he was like, that’s a rip-off. It was a Sunday as well, so I had to kindly break down for him how much money I’m making from his $11,” she says.

She had the answer ready because she knows what every item on the menu costs her, and she goes through the numbers with her accountant often to protect her margins. It’s also what turns an awkward conversation at the counter into a chance to show exactly what customers are paying for.

Every new rule gets tested before it gets judged

Payday Super arrived on 1 July 2026, moving contributions from quarterly to every pay run.

“Everybody’s complaining about cash flow,” says Maya. “But I used to have a massive amount coming out of my account after three months. I’ve got money coming in all the time, so it helps to make payments a little bit here and there. I think it’s better like that.”

The amount owed stayed the same and the timing moved. A cafe paid at the counter feels that differently from a business waiting on invoices, which is why the useful question is: how does a new rule affect your own numbers?

The annual wage increase landed on 1 July as well.

“From a business owner’s perspective it’s counterintuitive, but I’m happy about it,” she says. “The staff work hard and they deserve it. Plus, I used to work for other people, so I’ve been on the other side.”

Looking after the team is part of getting through

For Maya, awareness is about being able to pick up the mood on the floor. In a team this small she can tell straight away when one of them is off.

“I’ve always been told, don’t bring your problems to work. It’s impossible. The problems are here and they’re valid, and that’s fine. Sometimes we’re in here from 6am and you don’t see the sunshine, so I make them go upstairs to get some sunlight and clear their mind,” she says.

She worked for other people for years before opening her own place, and remembers the calm bosses as well as the ones who drove her mad.

“When I’m not here, they get so much more done. Sometimes the boss is in the way,” she says. “When you’re calm, that’s when all your ideas come to you.”

When the street changes, the menu changes

Edgecliff is in the middle of a construction cycle, with buildings due to come down and apartments going up within a block of the cafe. When conditions shift, her first move is to look at how she can grow the business.

“This is bringing in more customers: the builders, the tradies. That’s why I introduced the new burger,” says Maya. “Which just got the best review.” Opportunities include the customers she already has. “We remember your name. We remember your coffee. People come back for the food as much as for the vibe,” she says.

She judges a month by what is left at the end of it

When it’s busy, staff stay an extra hour or come in early, and the wages go up with it.

“It really doesn’t matter how much you’re bringing in, it’s what you’re putting out. If I’ve made $120k this month and I’ve only got 5k left over, and then the next month I’ve made 80k and I’ve got 10k left over, I’ll take the second one,” says Maya.

Trade at Edgy’s moves in waves, busy through the peak season and quiet through the school holidays.

“I always used to stress during the quiet times. Now I enjoy it when it’s a bit quieter and we’re not rushing all the time,” she says.

To tell whether a month worked, she compares what came in against what stayed. That comparison also tells her when there is room to spend on the place, and when a slow stretch is coming.

For Maya, it comes down to small, focused steps: a new item on the board, a five-minute break for a team member, a price she can explain. Each one came from three habits: knowing how much is still in her control, staying calm enough to read the situation properly, and looking for small improvements that grow the business.

“Be clear on the business you want, and your actions every day will create it,” she says. “I’m here for the long game. I’m building a brand very, very slowly but surely. I’m bursting with anticipation to see what’s coming.”