That being said, the reason for our chat was to promote the free Christmas Day lunch that she, mother Judith Gledhill, and their families are putting on for a second straight year.
People, couples and families in Rochester with nowhere else to go on December 25 are being invited by the cafe owner to come along for a full Christmas lunch.
“You don’t have to be on your own, we are welcoming couples or families who may be looking for company on Christmas Day,” she said.
“We would really love to have a full house. Last year a lot of people thought they didn’t qualify.
“The only qualification is that you want a nice lunch on Christmas Day.”
Lisa said if there were only two people (highly unlikely) at the lunch it would still be worthwhile.
A lot of money has been donated for the lunch this year, Lisa said.
“We have had people tell us they will give us money to ensure the cost of the lunch is covered,” she said.
She even encouraged people with kids to come along, if they were in a difficult situation.
The full lunch will include the traditional turkey and ham, roast vegetables and salads, along with pudding and pavlova for dessert.
Lisa and Judy, along with their husbands Trevor and Brett and children, Zac and Ethel will host the lunch and act as waiters and waitresses.
“We have space for 30 at least. We would love to fill it up with its people who need it,” Lisa said.
“To register, people can come into the cafe (on Mackay Street), give us a call or send us a message.
“A lot of people are leaving town for Christmas. A lot don't have a house to have Christmas at and some will be feeling very alone.”
The Froon and Gledhill families will spend Christmas night at the new site of Brett and Judy Gledhill’s home.
"They are moving into a home in Rochester, but it is not quite ready, so we will be having dinner in the shed,“ Lisa said.
The Cafe Rochester is regularly involved in community events, Lisa saying the team there loved “putting a smile on people's faces”.
She said the past three months had been “strange’’.
“A lot of our regulars aren’t in town and there has been a lot of new faces who have become new regulars, people working in the town on the recovery effort,” Lisa said.
Lisa credited close friend Jenna Harvey with decorating the cafe, saying she was more of a Christmas week person, while Jenna did "Christmas month’’.
