This has been a difficult year for the hospitality sector, but Rick Jones, who owns Valentino’s and the Water Rat, has his eyes on the longer-term picture.
The closure of Ripon’s Spa Hotel, quickly followed by news that The Old Deanery will be closing in early 2021, are indicators of hard times for hoteliers.
So the question arises – Is this a good time to invest £500,000 refurbishing a restaurant and creating bedroom space on your premises?
For Rick, who was born and bred in Ripon, the answer was an emphatic ‘yes’.
He told the Stray Ferret:
“Rather than spending my time panicking about the pandemic, I decided to invest in my business, so that we will be in good shape when the coronavirus crisis is behind us.
“You can either get yourself stuck in a lockdown mentality or look forward and have faith in Ripon’s future.”
Rick is an optimist, who has faced and overcome potential calamity before.
When he took charge of the Water Rat restaurant pub in 2007, he had to act quickly to prevent the waters of a flooded River Skell from washing away the trade at his newly-acquired venture.
The Lazio suite at Valentino’s
Having saved the drowned Water Rat 13 years ago and remodelled it, the experience gained has proved invaluable in the reconfiguration of Valentino’s, where the sign on the wall reads ‘Restaurant with Rooms.’
Rick’s confidence would appear well-founded.
Since its reopening in early July the restaurant, with its Roman-style food, has proved popular with diners.
Read more:
- Hotel closures are blow to tourism in Ripon
- Market traders receive unexpected payment
- Council’s £65,000 plan to light up Ripon
There has always been a need to book in advance, but even more so now, with social distancing measures meaning that the number of tables has had to be reduced.
Literally building on the venue’s popularity and carrying the Italian theme throughout the Westgate premises, Valentino’s is now offering five newly-opened en-suite bedrooms ranging from the £120 per night Toscana room for two people, to the £190 per night Lazio suite sleeping up to four.
Last month, people in charge of tourist and heritage attractions in the city expressed concerns about the possible impact that the loss of hotel bed spaces could have on visitor numbers.
Rick believes that the Valentino’s development will go some way towards redressing the balance. He pointed out:
“Each of the rooms has been designed to have its own individual look and feel and we hope that they will appeal to people who want to come to enjoy the attractions of Ripon and the wider area.”
