The Railway Hotel is set to enter a new era this Friday as it prepares to open its doors for the first time in six months.
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The historic Bathurst hotel is now under new ownership, with owners Geraldine Williams and Gavin Schumacher purchasing the venue in August.
Ms Williams is hoping to create a friendly and welcoming atmosphere for the Havannah St venue.
“We don’t want to see another pub in town die, so we’re keeping the Railway Hotel’s dream alive,” she said.
“We’re hoping to offer patrons a place to come and have a chat over a good beer.”
The Railway Hotel first opened in Bathurst in 1927, and for much of its history, it has been the ideal pub for railway workers and tradespeople.
With the recent closures of the Farmers Arms and the Victoria Hotel, the Railway Hotel will now be the sole pub open in the southern area of Bathurst.
“We’re going to promote a menu of suitable pub food, and we have a fantastic beer garden out the back for families to enjoy,” Ms Williams said.
“The pub has been popular with tradies for years, and we’re intending to continue catering for that market.”
Ms Williams has over 11 years experience in the hospitality industry, and said the key to running a thriving venue is maintaining a positive rapport with customers.
“It’s important to lend an ear to publicans and listen to their stories,” she said.
“I’ve had plenty of people in the past commend me for my ability to spark up a good conversation, which has made me feel that I’m doing something right.”
The venue is expected to retain its TAB and Keno services, however the poker machines have been removed.
As a means of building hype for the re-opening, Ms Williams’ daughter Kirstyn Schumacher posted a video to Facebook teasing the work that had gone into renovating the venue.
The video has since received 7000 views.
The Railway Hotel is expected to open its doors from 10am tomorrow.
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Sam Bolt
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
