Congratulations to our new member, Rice’s Hotel based in the heart of Poyntzpass, Co. Armagh who celebrates 15 years in business.
Our CEO, Tony McKeown was delighted to visit Rice’s and met with Owners & Brothers, Gavin Walsh & Ronan Walsh.
Established in 1798 when the village was a bustling hub of markets and fairs, Rices Hotel was 1 of the 4 busy hotels frequented by passing business people.
Fast forward to 2022 and they still get asked if they have rooms available for an overnight stay. Today, it is a busy Pub & Restaurant with a mix of traditional and modern dishes as well as seasonal specials.
Having worked across the globe and in several local spots perfecting their trade, in 2006 the Walsh brothers decided that it was time to start their own business. With Gavin’s experience of managing high profile bars and Ronan’s experience of running well renowned kitchens, the pair were perfectly placed to go out on their own.
Luckily, they came across Rice’s Hotel and knew it was the building, location and community that suited their vision.
Gavin Walsh, Co-Founder says of the time:
“We have fond memories of the early days in Poyntzpass. We were still settling in, increasing our staffing levels while working crazy hours ourselves, but it was worth it. The atmosphere in the place was just brilliant, the customers were loving the food, having great craic and responding well to the service from the front of house team. It was a real dream come true for Ronan and I, to think that we were creating this as a team was phenomenal.”
“We are extremely proud to say that many of our regular customers, many local, but some not so local, are coming to us from the beginning. We’ve seen their families grow up, grandchildren being born and generations of families attending our monthly quiz night, it is very rewarding. It has been a tough few of years for hospitality businesses, but our loyal customer base has supported us immensely through it and for that we are forever grateful.”
Ronan Walsh, Co-Founder added:
“We wouldn’t be marking this wonderful milestone without our team either, some of whom have been with us since the early days. We have a team of highly skilled, dedicated and extremely loyal people. They work exceptionally hard every day to deliver excellent quality food and service in a very busy environment. When you work side by side with your team on a daily basis you become close and we’re lucky to have a great bunch of people by our sides.”
Rice’s Hotel is open Tuesdays – Sundays from noon for food, drinks, private parties and corporate hire.
For further info about Rice’s Hotel, please visit:
www.riceshotel.com