Healthy eating is definitely on the menu when the new Poppi’s childcare centre opens its doors in Miranda in January.
Poppi’s is the dream of sisters Sophie Rosebery and Monique Habojan who are the daughters of Claude Allouche, well-known to many in the shire as the owner of the Sealevel Restaurant at Cronulla.
Sophie and Monique both started working in their father’s restaurant as teenagers.
After 20 years since Sealevel opened, the sisters have broken away from the restaurant industry and will open their own child care centre.
Sophie and Monique have ten years combined experience in the early childhood education sector.
“We both grew up in the hospitality industry but it always has been a bit of a dream of ours to open a childcare centre,” Monique said.
And while they are moving into a new direction, their father’s influence will not be far away.
“We called the centre Poppi’s after our Dad because that’s what his grandchildren call him,” Monique said.
“He has always been a big supporter of our dream to open a childcare centre and we thought this was the best way to thank him.
Poppi’s Pre School and Long Day Care Centre is architect-designed and will cater for 43 children a day from the ages of 0 to five years.
The centre will also have a preschool program for five-year-olds to prepare them for school, run by qualified early education teachers.
“Once we had our own children we felt it was important to have a centre where parents and children would feel comfortable, somewhere where we would send our own kids,” Monique said.
“I’ve got two kids, aged four and one, and Sophie has a child aged 18 months and they will all be attending, along with my brother’s children.”
And in keeping with their background in food, the centre will have a fully-qualified chef, Alicia who will prepare fresh healthy meals daily.
And healthy eating will be part of the children’s education.
“We will have a veggie garden and worm farm for the kids to get involved in and will be doing cooking activities to teach the kids about healthy eating,” Monique said.
Poppi’s Childcare Centre will open in January at 97 Garnet Road, Miranda.
Operating hours 7.30am-6.00pm, Monday - Friday.
Website - www.poppischildcare.com.au
Phone, 9522 2189.
