HAVING left secure jobs in the Australian Defence Force, Shaun and Kristen Close have combined their love of Mexican food and the Tweed Coast to become the new owners of Mad Mex Fresh Mexican Grill at Tweed City.

The couple decided to relocate to the Tweed to set up their lives in a community they love.

We chat with Shaun and Kristen about Mad Mex.

Why did you decide to open a business in the Tweed?

Shaun: We were Canberra-based and wanted to move to Tweed but we couldn't finance our lives. When it was Mad Mex in Tweed Heads, we thought that was perfect.

Kristen: We'd already started the process of moving to Tweed because we love the area and we love the lifestyle here, so it just seemed everything fit well together.

What do you enjoy about running your own business?

Shaun: It's something we'd always been interested in, running our own business and having that level of independence and also reward versus risk. The reward is directly reflected against the effort we put in.

Kristen: We've got a really excited team and they've all been willing to help us settle in and learn. They're willing to be adaptive.

Having opened the business, what's next?

Kristen: We're looking at sponsoring a sport like netball. We're looking to support those not necessarily big sports but just having a look at what's worthwhile for us.

We're really focussed on fresh food and healthy lifestyles, so that's the type of community engagement we want to embed ourselves in.

• Mex Fresh Mexican Grill is located at Tweed City Shopping Centre, 54 Minjungbal Dr, Tweed Heads South. Open daily 11am to 9pm. Phone (07) 5523 4378.