The Princess Pavilion in Falmouth will be closed for four days at the end of April while £15k of refurbishment takes place. The improvements are part of an ongoing programme of work to upgrade the much-loved food, drink and events venue.
When social enterprise provider GLL took over the management of The Princess Pavilion on April 1 of last year, the latter was suffering annual losses of about £200k per year. Now a new management team, led by newly-appointed Mo Gutale, is working hard to restore its fortunes.
With previous responsibility for the financial and operational delivery of 14 GLL venues and bars throughout the country, Gutale has expert knowledge and experience of the hospitality industry. He also spent more than two years as Senior Events Manager at York Hall – rated as one of the best boxing venues in the world – and, during that time, was instrumental in trebling its turnover.
“I’m delighted to be here in Falmouth – it’s a beautiful location and I’ve really been impressed by how friendly and welcoming people have been,” he said.
“We’ve got some exciting plans in place for the future, including re-designing our restaurant and developing a new menu that makes the most of locally-sourced food and drink. We’ve recruited an award-winning new head chef, Dave Waplinton, and are looking forward to his arrival on April 23.
“The new programme of music, comedy acts and shows we’re putting together focuses on some of the best new and emerging talent – as well as popular, established performers like Ralph McTell who will be playing here in October. With a standing capacity of 600, the Pavilion is an excellent venue but it’s important to make bookings that attract good-sized local audiences. We’re currently recruiting for an events and programme manager who will manage that process.
“Changes have had to be made in the last 12 months to ensure the business doesn’t continue to make substantial losses but GLL is firmly committed to its future. That’s why I’ve been brought in and why we’re investing heavily in what we believe to be a unique Cornish gem. Falmouth is a wonderful town and the Princess Pavilion is rightly the much-cherished heart of it.”
The Princes Pavilion will be closed from Monday 23 to Thursday 26 April for the refurbishment which will include work on the foyer, restaurant and bar area.
