Sydney tourists and locals may soon find themselves dining in cafes that used to be a public toilet. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that city councils are now looking into offers from cafe operators to convert three vacant toilet blocks to create unusual new commercial spaces and bring these forgotten lavatories back into use.

Three of these vacant Sydney toilet blocks are at Taylor Square, Belmonte Park near Central Station and Hickson Road at Millers Point.

The city council is eyeing the Hickson Road location as a 'potential goldmine' due to the fact that it is across from Australia's largest urban redevelopments, Bangaroo. According to a spokesperson, they receive numerous inquiries to convert the old toilets into cafes.

In Taylor Square, a council development action wants to convert the site for "future use as a cafe". According to SMH, this kind of set-up or concept has already been done in London.

London's Attendant cafe used to be an underground Victorian-era men's toilet. The porcelain urinals now serve as booths.

And don't get too surprised anymore if you learn that in Sydney, the Gardener's Lodge cafe at Victoria Par, the Sydney Cove Oyster Bar at Circular Quay and Camperdown all used to be lavatories.

Sam Sgambellone, Mecca Espresso partner, said that re-using toilets was "something that if you do creatively, people will talk about it".

Meanwhile, Sydney's City Cares programme has been receiving mixed responses from cafe owners, stating that opening their toilets into public use might 'attract drug users and other undesirables' into their business.

City Cares is Sydney council's program to encourage retailers and other businesses to have a 'open door policy' to increase boost trade and the availability of toilets in central Sydney.

Chippendale's Cafe Giulia owner Stefan Stavropoulos said that the program might be abused by "junkies potentially coming off the street."

Another cafe owner expressed his fear of getting "needles" and "injections" and "all that rubbish".

On the other hand, some owners are in favour of the "City Cares" programme and has seen it as a way to increase sales.

Tristan Cox of Campos Cafe in Alexandria said that toilet users "might grab a quick coffee or muffin" if they feel "guilty" about not buying something.

Presently, there are 117 public toilet locations around Sydney, including those that are in shopping centres. It attracts about 1,500 visits a day.