It has been a hectic six weeks for the new owner of the Royal Oak Hotel.
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Wendy Robbins took ownership of the Brisbane Street pub on December 4 and has been hard at work “scrubbing, cleaning and painting” since.
“I’m exhausted,” Ms Robbins said.
“I’m still putting it together and I think I’m about halfway there,” she said.
Coming to Launceston from Hobart, via Melbourne, Sydney and Japan, Ms Robbins is looking forward to being part of the community.
“I spent a lot of time here as a kid. I’m really pleased to be here,” she said.
Not a renovation, the work Ms Robbins is doing is more “fashioning up” the pub, she assures Royal Oak regulars.
“It will still be the iconic Royal Oak pub. It’s not going to change very much; it’s going to be what everybody knows it to be,” she said.
“It’ll be the same, but better.”
While the pub is being upgraded, the menu and drinks offerings will stay the same, but eventually Ms Robbins plans to add more Tasmanian produce and wines.
“It’s still functioning as it was. The staff and food are the same, it’s just been painted and I’ve added some new furniture,” Ms Robbins said.
Once the first stage of work on the pub has been completed Ms Robbins plans to start on the accommodation upstairs, but she anticipates “that will be at least six months”.
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