Common Galaxia under new management

Common Galaxia, the cool cafe in Seddon established by cafe operators Luke Mutton and Kylie Mackinlay, has been sold.

The couple, who also own Dead Man Espresso in South Melbourne, set up the Victoria Street cafe in June last year. They had no intention of selling but when they were approached with an offer by industry veteran Paul Fox, they decided to accept.

''It was the hardest decision, letting go of something you built,'' says Mutton, ''but it's a lot, running two businesses with two children.''

Fox, 55, started in the industry in his 20s and his businesses included the Argo Inn in South Yarra in the early '90s and, later that decade, Cafe Soho in Armadale. He and wife Julie Stephens settled into Common Galaxia last week and she says they will ''make some small changes, but we want to keep many of the things the customers love''. Fox will oversee the cafe and daughter Samantha will manage.

Mutton and Mackinlay have decided to put all their energy back into Dead Man, the cafe they opened in 2009.