Red Truck Café a home away from home in Shepparton

“This is what we originally wanted to do, the shipping container (we formally had) with coffee and cake was a last-minute COVID-19 adjustment,” Ms Mackali-Cerasi said.

“We've been busy putting in a full kitchen and bar, so now we can offer dine-in - some food and drinks.

“The décor is a combination of all our quirky styles, my mum and I (Betty Cerasi, who also works as the chef) have been collecting vintage things you see around the place for many years.”

Small sculptures and old bottles stuffed with flowers surround the funky tables, one of which is covered in a collage of postcards collected on Ms Mackali-Cerasi's travels.

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The lattice-work was installed by the couple. Mr Milkie did the woodwork and the bar while Ms Mackali-Cerasi researched the menu and curated the space.

“We want a warm space where people can just relax, and take time to enjoy their food and drink,” Mr Milkie said.

The piece de resistance, however, is the selection of original picture windows from the Florentino Italian restaurant in Melbourne, purchased from a small store in Avenel a decade ago.

“It's always good going secondhand shopping in country towns, you find the best stuff,” Ms Mackali-Cerasi said.

“Her and her mum will go to an auction and come back with a truckload of things,” Mr Milkie said with a laugh.

Their new menu, too, is eclectic and rich - a mix of house-made cocktails, wines, beers and organic tapas and sweets.

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Coffee can't be forgotten either - available from 2 pm until close.

“It's all about good food, good cocktails, a nice range of Victorian organic beers and some lovely local organic wines,” Mr Milkie said.

“All of our spirits are organic, with some nice whiskies from Tasmania, really top shelf . . . we've curated a full cocktail list out of our spirits and had a lot of fun with that.

“We're just looking forward to serving it to everyone that comes in.”

Mr Milkie said his favourite beverage on the menu had to be his signature espresso martini.

“We do coffee all day, we find a lot of places stop coffee at two or three but we'll still be here right until nine - because when we go out, that's what we're after,” he said.

“The espresso martini is my own recipe, we use a macadamia and wattle seed liquor and it uses our all-Australian coffee from Byron Bay.”

Ms Mackali-Cerasi couldn't go past the ‘arancia’ orange martini, a delightful blend of gin, vermouth and triple sec, delicious served alongside an organic chicken liver pate.

“Organic" is a big buzz word at the Red Truck Café - the menu is 99 per cent Australian, with a selection of drinks, cheeses, meats, breads and olives hand-picked and carefully considered by Ms Mackali-Cerasi.

Much of the menu is vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free too, with vegan cheeses for people with intolerances or preferences.

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“We're really trying to hit the market of coming in, having a few drinks, having some nibbles and relaxing and enjoying what we have to offer,” Ms Mackali-Cerasi said.

“We've got some small sharing plates and some grazing platters, everything organic . . . everything we do is grounded in sustainability and being eco-friendly.

“There's not really a café or restaurant hitting that market, which is where we come in . . . we didn't expect renovations to drag out as much as they did, but in the end it worked in our favour because we had time to research and find all these great products.”

Ms Mackali-Cerasi and Mr Milkie thanked the many tradies and friendly helpers who assisted in bringing Red Truck Café to life in its new and inviting format.

“It was so great the first day opening because it was such a long wait,” Ms Mackali-Cerasi said.

“Because last year was just takeaway, it's completely different moving in to dine in and being able to provide this intimate service.”

The café is open from 2 pm to 8.30 pm on Thursdays, and 2 pm to 9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays at 317 Maude St, Shepparton.