Kaponga Hotel: a change for the better

FOR Cathy Franich, it's been all about developing potential at the Kaponga Hotel in the last wee while.
When Cathy took on the task of redeveloping the venue late last year, she knew she had her work cut out for her – but, she knew it would be worth it in the end.
"I suppose I had a vision to make it a quality country pub: good food and good value," says Cathy.
"There was definitely demand from locals who wanted a nice local place they could have a quiet drink and a nice meal, that had a good, fresh, open atmosphere; a place they could be proud of, and somewhere they could bring their families."
Given that the vision included good food, a lot of time and effort went into building a brand new kitchen that featured up-to-date appliances and a practical and efficient design.
With a fresh kitchen came the need for a fresh dining space and time was spent making the northern end of the venue spacious, tastefully decorated and a great environment for eating with friends and family.
"It's much lighter and brighter down the end of the pub now, and it all opens out onto a well-designed and spacious outdoor garden bar."
To top it all off, the outdoor space can double as a hot spot for live entertainment; the pub has already hosted a night or two of dance-crazed entertainment in its garden bar, and more live bands are booked in.
If a warm and cosy indoor experience is still your favourite, then the new TVs, trendy new wall fire, brand new roof, painted-up décor and soon-to-open TAB should more than fit the bill.
And if you like it so much that you want to stay over, Cathy is working on getting the accommodation side of things shiny and sparkling – watch this space.
"We're also planning to open a conference room in the near future. It's going to be great to be able to offer this facility to groups."
As things keep developing for the future of the pub, presently there's still a huge range of great experiences on offer.
The new food service includes familiar favourites like chicken and bacon pie, piping hot fish and chips and lasagne, all of which are offered alongside a full bar service and hot tea and coffee.
"We've just started a weekend brunch menu too, so people can just wander on down for a great traditional fry-up, or choose one of our other breakfast items."
And if you're after a traditional Sunday roast, Kaponga Hotel has it on offer for you – but you better book in advance, as already the demand for it has seen people turned away, it's just that good!
Check out the all-new Kaponga Hotel, and enjoy the thrill of it all yourself.