Former Liverpool midfielder Steve McMahon has revealed how he ended up buying a small independent restaurant down a side street in a Merseyside town centre.
The now 60-year-old, along with his wife Julie, bought Auberge Brasserie in Southport in 2020 when they went for a romantic meal at the restaurant. The pair sat down to eat and the owner at the time came over to chat before the conversation moved on to the future of the venue.
The owner at the time told the couple he was looking to sell the business and retire and before they knew it they had an agreement to buy it from him. The former Liverpool, Everton and Manchester City player then went on to formally take over the restaurant with Julie in December.
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Just weeks after the couple took over the restaurant they were forced to shut their doors as another national lockdown forced the closure of pubs and restaurants up and down the country. The couple use the time to regroup and refurbish parts of the restaurant.
Now, Julie is incredibly hands-on with the day-to-day running of the venue and Steve has taken a backseat. He told the ECHO: "One night we decided to go for some food so went to a restaurant we always went to which is Auberge and we found out that the owner who we know was wanting to retire.
"We liked it. We only went for a meal and bought a restaurant. It was definitely an impulsive buy but I'm glad we did it. It keeps us busy. You don't want to retire and do nothing."
Steve, who moved back to Merseyside three years ago after living in Asia for a number of years, has kept on the same longstanding members of staff at the restaurant and kept the French roots of the restaurant prominent.
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