Broadstairs’ newest micropub opened its doors yesterday (September 9) and enjoyed a packed out evening.
The Royston, on The Broadway, has been over a year in the making due to the pandemic and a change of planned location but now boss Andy Smith, partner Melissa and their son Liam have welcomed in the first customers.
The micropub and coffee house is named after Andy’s dad Roy who passed away at Maurice House after a period of dementia and, in fitting tribute, it opened on what would have been Roy’s birthday.
Former salesman Andy said: “My dad would have been so proud of what we’ve achieved in his name and I’m eternally grateful for the help I’ve had to make this dream a reality and we had a toast to him.”
Kent brewery ales and ciders are on offer as well as wines and artisan gins and the venue is available for use by community groups.
Customers can order in food deliveries from local restaurants – supporting other local businesses- and there will be a scheme with trades offering services to customers. Local produce, including freshly roasted coffee, is served and Andy is selling a variety of different coffee beans for people to use at home.
The Royston is licensed for live music and outside seating until 9pm and has aneye-catching themed décor mixing up industrial, Art Deco, steam punk, Victorian and Edwardian.
Andy said: “The Royston is here to stay, and we look forward to seeing it blossom into an amazing venue supporting our community with a place to meet, make new friends and treasured memories.”
Excellent,been looking forward to checking this place out and will be heading over this weekend. All the best, Royston team.
Great news ! The place looks lovely. Love those micropubs.
Iirc its a franchise, same as the newly opened pub micropub ramsgate high street. Which is actually a really nice bar, so different to other bar’s in that area.
Going to visit them all, support your local bar’s !
I personally like to support struggling real pubs rather than these micropubs, which are putting even more strain on them. As I’ve said before, these micropubs should concentrate on areas that don’t have anything else – Acol, Cliffsend, Woodnesborough, and dozens of more villages in Kent.
Unfortunately trditional pubs are fast becoming a thing of the past, the drinking habits associated with our predominantly manual working population , lack of personal transport, little opportunity to travel etc are long gone. Add in the costs of running a larger pub and especially employing people to work in it along with many of todays younger generation choosing not to drink , the future is bleak for many pubs.
The micro brewery/pub on the other hand can exist on a small clientele meaning it can exist in a small catch,emt area , often relying on a customer base of friends and aquaintances, again often run by the proprietor and family/ friends meaning that it is a viable business on much lower turnover.
I fear that as the years pass the numbers of traditional boozers will continually dwindle, leaving very few in the years to come, with the likes of wetherspoons , micropubs and trendy bars takingmover to dominate the drinking scene.
Unfortunately, I largely agree, though I do think traditional bigger pubs will continue to survive as long as they concentrate on quality food. This doesn’t change the fact that (a) licenses shouldn’t be given out so easily when there are already other pubs (large and small) in the same town, and (b) that so few enterprising souls are opening these in large villages no longer have anything. There are exceptions though: The Yew Tree Inn in the ancient Kent village of Barfrestone closed its doors 2010, so in 2014 someone opened a micropub (The Wrong Turn), which has proved very popular ever since. If I had the time, money and inclination I’d open one in Woodnesborough. It had at least 5 pubs in the ’50s, but the last one closed in 2013 (a lovely building that is still boarded up). A nice place where the traffic isn’t too heavy and which has expanded considerably in recent years, trade would almost be guaranteed.
The Griffins Head in Chillenden was another that did very well under its previous almost eccentric landlord, his no children policy was seemingly very popular. Not been back since he left. The other problem with village pubs is the inability to drink and drive. Personally i see it as many pubs having become restaurants that also have an area that serves drinks to those choosing not to eat, and as such often no longer feel like pubs. But all part of our evolving culture and society.
I was actually in The Griffins Head a couple of weeks back while out walking on a hot day, seemed to be doing well.
Good to hear its doing well, the people i know moved onto the Anchor in Wingham, another local that seems to have managed to keep the pub vibe alongside the food.