Tamworth musician Mike Vee opens new cafe as COVID-19 disrupts the entertainment industry

Instead, Mr Vee took the opportunity to flex is adaptability by venturing into a new industry and opening a brand new cafe for Tamworthians to get their coffee fix.

The former Australia's Got Talent contestant said his new brainchild, The Atrium Cafe, was a chance for him to try something new.

"The coffee shop was sitting here vacant for a long time and I thought it was a good opportunity to give it a go," he said.

"There's a lot of people out there who thought I'd fail, but I don't give in."

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No stranger to giving something a crack, over the years Mr Vee has worked as a performer, an entertainment coordinator and an event operator.

But for his current business venture Mr Vee said he was focused on three things: supporting local, employing young people and keeping things simple.

The cafe grinds beans sourced from Antilles Coffee and sandwiches and toasties are kept fresh with the help of locally sourced produce.

While Mr Vee runs the show he has a dedicated team of young people behind him to learn the ropes.

"I did martial arts for 10 years here in Tamworth and I basically helped a lot of young kids build up their self esteem and self confidence," he said.

"Part of what I do is helping young people develop their hospitality skills."

Although Mr Vee said the cafe had been experimenting with different menus and a variety of food and drinks he is determined to keep things plain and simple with his attention directed to freshness.

"I don't want to make it too hard, give people too many choices and they stand there and say 'God I don't know'," he said.

The cafe boasts a selection of drinks, sandwiches, wraps and a rotation of baked goods with Mr Vee's top pick being his famous chocolate balls.

While Mr Vee said the cafe was everything he wanted, some small refurbishments to the lighting and displays are on the cards.

Located in the Atrium Shopping Centre the cafe is open from Monday to Saturday with potential for operation on Sunday.

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