Emmanuel Benardos was born on the island of Kythera, Greece in 1895. He was orphaned at the age of ten and brought up by an uncle in the tiny village of Christoforiannika.

In 1913 he boarded a ship in Athens for the 6 week journey to the fledgling nation of Australia on the search for a better life. After stints in country towns in western N.S.W. he arrived in Moss Vale in 1925 and opened The Central Cafe. Bringing with him European hospitality and food not seen before in country town Australia.

The Central Cafe closed in 1927 and moved, after Emmanuel purchased the current premises and renamed his business 'Bernie's Cafe' as he was starting to become known as 'Bernie' around the small town. Emmanuel Benardos Married Mirsini Potiris of Cooma in 1933, they had four children. George, John, Andrew and Kalomyra. Emmanuel died in 1954 and Mirsini was left to run Bernie's Cafe with her four children. In 1958 they decided to sell the business.

Fast forward 55 years: Ioannis Benardos (Emmanuel's grandson) has breathed new life into this Moss Vale icon. The meticulously designed premises now resemble an excellent example of an Art Deco American diner with touches from the 1950's. One of the few examples of the quintessential American diner in Australia.

Ioannis Benardos began a career in hospitality at the age of eighteen in Double Bay's Ritz Carlton Hotel. After the hotel's cessation Ioannis moved companies to the Four Seasons hotel where he stayed while completing his commercial pilots license and until leaving for London to take a position in front of house at Claridge's, Mayfair.

Upon his return to Australia he again worked in front of house operations as concierge for the Quay Grand hotel in Sydney but again had his sights set for international endeavours.

He joined the team at the Aspen Mountain Club - one of Colorado's most exclusive skiing clubs - for the 2004/2005 ski season.

Returning to Australia, he was appointed assistant manager of the Grand National Restaurant - at the time a one hat restaurant - where he remained until he took jobs managing two high profile Sydney restaurants. A move to Canada to get married saw a switch to the vibrant, Vancouver bar scene and after a ski season stint in Collingwood, Ontario back to Australia to work on the Bernie's Diner project.