Owners of The Yandaran Hotel are celebrating their first year in business after bringing back “the pub with no beer” from the brink of permanent closure.
Abbie Grayson and Colin Ahern took over the iconic watering hole, known to locals as The Yannie, 12 months ago after it was closed and with no beer flowing from the taps for 541 days.
“Our first year has been out of this world and we have received fantastic support from locals and travellers,” Abbie said.
“We have been working hard with renovating and making the venue comfortable and welcoming.”
Abbie said she had loved every minute of pub life and it was all thanks to the special customers she served.
“Every day is a highlight as every day is different,” she said.
“Being close to holidaying destinations means we meet new people every day.
“We always strive to make our customers feel welcome and really enjoy their time with us.”
The historic country hotel served its first beer in 1900 and there have been plenty of changes to the building since then, especially in the past 12 months.
“Our kitchen has been operating for some time after receiving a 5 star rating from the Council,” Abbie said.
“Also, our coffee shop has been well received, open Saturday and Sunday at the moment from 10 am to 2 pm.
“Our motel rooms are open for bookings now that we have renovated and refurbished them and installed air conditionerS.”
Abbie said while there had been many highlights, the year had also come with its set of challenges which had been heightened due to the pandemic.
“The biggest challenge has obviously been the Covid issue,” she said.
“Not only do we have to operate under strict restrictions but there is always a constant battle with customers about signing in.
“Keeping our customers healthy is extremely important to us and we are constantly cleaning and sanitizing.”
But with a positive outlook, Abbie and Colin said they soldiered on and couldn't wait to see what the next 12 months would bring.
The Yandaran Hotel owners said continuing to support the local community and local musicians was part of their resolution list for 2022.
“We are in the process of organising regular open mic nights plus we have a Battle of the Bands event happening early in the year,” Abbie said.
“We think it's important to help up-and-coming musicians to have a venue where they can gain confidence in front of a great audience of local music lovers.”
Celebration of The Yandaran Hotel
To celebrate their one year anniversary at The Yannie, Abbie and Colin said they would be hosting a party on Friday 17 December 2021.
“It will be a fantastic night with lots of giveaways and great music,” Abbie said.
“We will be once again raising funds for Camp Gregory Veterans Retreat with raffles.”
To find out more go to The Yandaran Hotel Facebook page.
