My significant other (often referred to on my blog as Mr. WC) walked by the Royal Mile late this afternoon and happened to see some people inside the building, even though the lights were off. Being the intrepid investigator that he is, he knocked on the door until someone came over. It was the owner, Michael Moore, who appeared to be in the process of meeting with a contractor.
According to him, the Royal Mile WILL BE reopening, but that a number of serious issues with the building itself are requiring its temporary closure. He mentioned electrical issues being one of the main problems. Mr. Moore did not know when the needed repairs will be completed, so he didn't have an expected date for them to reopen.
Mr. WC mentioned being there on Sunday when all the employees seemed to think the restaurant was going out of business, but Mr. Moore didn't volunteer any additional information to explain this.
Michael Moore also addressed the issue of their website apparently going down. He said that they changed their web address to ".net" rather than ".com". He asked that we share the current website with everyone, and said that he would be posting updates there once he has a better idea of when the repairs will be completed.
While I'm encouraged to hear that he is proceeding with the plans of making repairs and reopening, I can't help but feel for the employees who are without work and pay. While it sounds like the Royal Mile will be reopening, there's certainly no guarantee that the familiar faces we associate with it will be there when that happens.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Nice to see that he's talked, but so much of what is happening here does not add up. You have doggedly stayed on this, and you should be thanked for that. The Royal Mile's history and its exceedingly loyal customer base would seem to require some honest answers. But how does one progress from running out of food, a staff that has been unpaid for weeks on end, and forcibly changed locks to using renovations as an excuse?
ReplyDeleteYes, the place needs work. It has for more than two years. But the long-suffering staff and the customers who truly love all of them are given no assurance or respect by the owner? The owner who hangs out at the pub next door, rather than face up to the hard realities of the restaurant business? You're right not to want to slander anyone here, but none of this makes sense.
I find myself thinking of some of the older couples who have frequented the Royal Mile for so long, and wonder too how their loyalty will be recognized. There is just so much not to like here.
Well, it's a good thing they're asking you to get the word out about the change to the URL of their website, since the site is a wealth of information on the closing and the reopening.
ReplyDeleteOh, wait, it says nothing about it.
Fail.
FYI - the locks were changed because the owner had not had a key in over a year. With the loss of all of the staff, he had no way to get inside his own business.
ReplyDeleteThat explanation of the locks makes sense. However, allowing the food to run out and not telling employees what was happening seems fishy to me, especially if the closure was caused by repairs needing to be made. Why note just let everybody know? The only real piece of information I got from the discussion Mr. WC had with the owner is that he's planning to make repairs and reopen. Whether that actually happens remains to be seen, but I'll continue to offer updates as I get them.
ReplyDeleteMarch 16th the pub will be open
ReplyDelete