New Dingwall restaurant opens on site hit by fire
A FORMER Dingwall Indian restaurant that has lain empty since it was badly damaged in a major fire three years ago has been transformed into a new eatery which opened to the public on Thursday.
Local businessman David Stephen and his wife Kathy, from Conon Bridge, felt Dingwall’s main thoroughfare needed a lift and decided to open their new restaurant, The Victoria, on the site of the old Tandoori, to fill a void on the High Street.
The Victoria, which has British and European dishes on the menu, was named in honour of Ross County’s stadium at Victoria Park. Fittingly, the club’s chairman Roy MacGregor cut the ribbon at the formal opening of the premises on Tuesday, which was followed by a preview event attended by 160 invited guests, including councillors.
Staff and proprietors of shops and businesses on the High Street also got a chance to visit the new restaurant at a second preview event on Wednesday, before it opened to the public on Thursday.
Mr Stephen (68) told the Ross-shire Journal the very positive response to the restaurant has been “absolutely fantastic”.
He admitted he sized up a few options since selling his previous business Safety, Welding and Lifting (SWL) last autumn. “I sold off my business, which I had started in 1994 but part of the deal was I would be kept on for six months as a consultant to help with the transition,” he said. “When that came to an end I suddenly realised I needed something to do to keep the old grey matter going – I just couldn’t retire.
“I looked at various projects for the Dingwall area. I get a bit depressed when I look down the High Street, with its closed shops – I wanted to do something to help the High Street and the town.
“There were four of five different things I thought about and eventually the most viable one was a good quality British/European restaurant.”
He added: “We’ve pegged ourselves on the same level as Cafe 1 and Rocpool in Inverness, I felt there was a void in Dingwall which needed filling. I have talked to loads of people about it and everyone is of the same mind. They think it will be a success – let’s hope they are right.
“In fact, over the past two weeks before we opened, we turned away between eight and ten holidaymakers a day who were looking for lunch.”
Mr Stephen is initially leasing the premises from the local family who ran the Indian restaurant for many years. They now operate a similar business in Inverness.
He explained the Indian restaurant closed in February 2013 after the roof came down following a fire in the hotel above.
Mr Stephen will be employing a staff of around a dozen, including restaurant manager, Garry Clark, from Beauly and chef Will Mackenzie, who was previously at the Ski-ing Doo restaurant in Aviemore.
He also intends to play an active role in the venture. He said: “A lot of our clientèle will be business people and I intend to be there most days to meet and greet.”
