THE former Royal Society Cafe overlooking Kings Parade in William Street has a new name and owner.
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Father and son team Jack and Wayne Hockings have taken over the reins and renamed the business The Coach House.
It's a nod to the building's heritage with Cobb and Co coaches once pulling up at the location when it was known as the Royal Hotel.
Neither Jack nor Wayne are strangers to the hospitality industry; Wayne previously owned the Treble Clef Cafe in Orange while and Jack owned Gunther's Lane.
More recently, Jack owned three franchises in financial tech in Queensland but found he really missed the Central West.
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"I didn't enjoy Queensland, it was too hot and I missed Bathurst," he said.
"It took me leaving the city to really realise this is where I wanted to be, and hospitality is where I really want to work."
Jack said he and his father were drawn to to the cafe's location and the history of the building.
The pair have big plans for the cafe, including a cocktail bar and live entertainment.
"We're a licensed premises, so we really want to have a cocktail bar. Imagine an espresso martini sitting overlooking the Carillon," he said.
"We've also got plans for a music room out the back, Dad has a lot of connections in local music so live music is something we really want to try."
Jack said wherever possible the cafe would source regional food and alcohol.
"We're sourcing local Orange wines and when we start doing the cocktails, we want to use local spirits from Stone Pine," he said.
Jack said feedback from clients had been great and he was excited to continue expanding the business.
"We want to build something with a relaxed buzz," he said.
"We're still learning. We've made some mistakes along the way, but overall it's been great."
The cafe's new menu includes paleo, keto and vegan options.
