The soon-to-be owners of Skipton Street's The Mallow Hotel say they are looking to keep the same friendly atmosphere of the previous ownership, with additional flourishes.
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Garth and Nicole Healey, of the Mornington Peninsula, will take over ownership of The Mallow after its sale and closure in late 2022. Mr Healey comes to Ballarat with 13 years of hospitality experience, beginning with the start of gaming in Victoria.
"I started when I was 18, working for the Gaming Commission, testing all of the machines and venues before they opened," he said.
His work with the Victorian Gaming Commission landed him a role at the Essendon Football Club as a manager and staff trainer.
Mr Healey then held various positions at many venues in Melbourne, including the RACV Club, Zagames, the Taylors Lake Hotel and the Essendon Hotel.
After 13 years he left hospitality and moved to Queensland, where he operated his own warehousing contracting business for 10 years.
When the international company Mr Healey contracted to was bought out, he and Nicole decided to return to Victoria and use their savings to purchase a country pub.
"Nicole said she has always wanted to own a pub, and I said I had always wanted to own a pub as well," he said.
"We love Ballarat, Bendigo and country towns. I was raised in a country town called Mooroopna. I said 'sure let's go'."
The pair met with The Mallow's previous owner Dallas Robb and "instantly fell in love" with the place.
"With The Mallow, Dallas has done an awesome job in creating a good atmosphere and the customer base there is just fantastic. It is very loyal. We just loved it," he said.
Mr Healey said they planned to keep the same atmosphere and service known to The Mallow's regulars, including Wednesday night trivia.
He said they would look at opening the pub during the day on Saturdays and Sundays, and introduce a Friday night happy hour.
"Like we said to Dallas at the time, we won't be changing a thing - if it isn't broke, don't fix it. The pub trades really well," he said.
Mr Healey said most of the former staff would remain at the pub, with the exception of the kitchen staff.
The couple also look to begin offering free meals and hot drinks to the city's homeless on Sunday.
"They can knock on the door, and we can give them a hot beverage to get them through the day."
The pub has a tentative reopening date of February 8.
Mr Healey asked the Ballarat community for patience and support.
"Just be patient with us. We are all on board and we want The Mallow to succeed as it always has," he said.
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