From Costly Bills and No Guidance to Proactive Support That Grows With the Business
In this client story, Edmond Yuen of Killara Hospitality Services shares how switching to Cotchy transformed his approach to bookkeeping, GST management and tax planning across multiple hospitality venues in NSW. From a single cafe to a thriving multi-venue group, Cotchy has been the accounting partner that grew with the business every step of the way.
From One Cafe to a Multi-Venue Hospitality Group
Edmond Yuen and his business partner Michael Ziemer are the co-founders of Killara Hospitality Services Pty Ltd, a growing NSW-based hospitality group that operates Breakers Cafe in Mollymook, Albert St Cafe in Berry, and Killara Catering & Events, which caters across multiple locations including a recent expansion into Canberra.
Having relocated from Hong Kong, Edmond came to Australia with a strong entrepreneurial spirit but limited familiarity with the local tax and accounting landscape. The hospitality industry brings its own financial complexity, including high transaction volumes, seasonal cash flow, and regular BAS obligations that can quickly become overwhelming without the right support. Starting out with a single business, Edmond has since grown his operations across multiple entities and venues, each with its own financial needs.
But in the early days, managing the financial side of the business was anything but straightforward. The accounting support he had at the time was costly, reactive, and left him largely on his own when it came to understanding his obligations as a hospitality business owner in Australia.
Before Cotchy, I had a local accountant which was very costly. On top of that, I had to do all the reconciliations myself. And at the end of the year I'd get an enormous bill with everything broken down. Coming from Hong Kong, the taxation rules here are completely different and I had to learn from scratch.
A Chance Enquiry That Changed Everything
I submitted an enquiry and honestly, at that point I didn’t know you guys were in Melbourne. I thought, no harm in having a chat. And that chat gave me a lot of explanations. I was still a bit sceptical at the time, but I said, give it a go. And the support from Cotchy has been really good!
The Accountant Who Tells You What You Need to Hear
Vishal is very proactive and his advice is really valid. Sometimes he says things you might not like to hear, but I like that. He gives it to us straight, in a neutral way, to both me and my business partner. When we’ve been unsure on how to run things properly, his guidance has helped us a lot.
More Venues, More Complexity, and Cotchy Grew With Them
When we first came to Cotchy, I was still learning how Australian taxation works. It’s very different from Hong Kong. Cotchy helped me understand what I could claim, how to manage GST properly, and gave us the structure we needed as the business grew. We’ve gone from one small business to multiple venues and entities and having Cotchy across all of that has made a big difference. The guidance has helped us make better decisions and run things more professionally.
The One Thing Every Busy Hospitality Owner Needs is Support
The support. That’s the most helpful part. Having someone in your corner who is proactive, gives valid advice, and actually helps you understand your business better, that’s what makes the difference.
The Proof Is in the Referrals
Edmond has not just been happy with the service, he has actively shared it with people in his network. For him, recommending Cotchy has been a natural extension of his own positive experience.
I have referred friends to Cotchy to have a chat with Vishal, and they’ve signed up too! I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them.
Is Your Hospitality Business Facing the Same Challenges?
Are you a cafe, restaurant or catering business owner dealing with high accounting costs, little guidance, or struggling to keep on top of GST and BAS obligations across multiple venues? Cotchy works with hospitality businesses across Australia to simplify bookkeeping, manage compliance and provide the proactive accounting support your business needs to grow confidently.
A big thank you to Edmond for taking the time to share his story. We look forward to continuing to support the growth of Killara Hospitality Services and all the venues and ventures that sit within the group.
