Beachfront business booms under new ownership at Esperance Travellers Inn

Keeping tradition alive while also bringing a modern space for Esperance locals to enjoy, the new owners of the Esperance Travellers Inn have been busy renovating the beachfront business. Having closed down during the peak of COVID-19, the business has been given a fresh lease of life as father and sons Richard, Paul and Dave Stephen have taken over ownership of The Travs. The business has been reopening in stages, with the bottle-shop first reopening in July, followed by the beloved back bar in January, and most recently a brand-new wine bar. “Our family saw an opportunity to refurbish and reopen the venue with such an amazing location on the waterfront and being walking distance for Castletown residents and from the RAC Park,” she said. “We really wanted to do Castletown justice and have a venue that catered to everyone that was over this side of town. “We want to try and cater to everybody so we have the back bar for the people who want to play pool and watch sports in that traditional Aussie pub vibe and beer garden, the wine bar offers a more intimate experience for dinner or private functions, and the outdoor area is fully licensed so you can bring a picnic rug or sit on the chairs and soak in the ocean view. “It was so dark and so rundown for so long so it’s really nice to drive past now and see the lights are on and people are in there laughing and having a good time.” With the accommodation leased out separately and a partnership with Seaside Cafe and Restaurant, whose owner has brought her vast experience in the restaurant industry to Esperance, the family has been able to pour all of their efforts into the rest of the space. “We have big plans to do up the outdoor area and level the grass and put in some stages for live music out there,” Mrs Stephen said. “And there’s the middle room inside which we also want to be able to renovate to use for live music or comedy shows and things like that because it’s such an underutilised space at the moment. “We also do live music in the back bar as well, so we really have heaps of space that can be used for all kinds of things.” Recently, The Travs reintroduced skimpies to the back bar, a decision Mrs Stephen said she was apprehensive about, but ultimately it all went smoothly with the community. “It was an old Travs tradition from back in the day. “I always remember seeing the little A-frame blackboard out the front with the girl’s name on it. I’ve recently gone out and bought one to bring that back as well,” she said. “It was definitely our most popular request from the guys out in the back bar and so we just thought, why not do it, and have a bit of fun. “These days there’s so much seriousness and horrible things going on in the world, let’s let loose a little bit, have fun and have a laugh.” So far, the skimpies are a novelty and make an appearance about once a month but Mrs Stephen said they were open to having them more if community demand was there. Mrs Stephen said she was heartened to see how much the community had rallied behind the business already, and hoped things would only get better once more improvements were made. One of her most exciting upcoming events is a 90th birthday party for a former owner. “Whether its birthday parties, baby showers, conferences or a meeting, we have really great space available for bookings of all kinds,” she said.