Just over a month ago, long-time hospitality manager Terry Shaw made a massive change moving away from a career history in clubs to take the reins of Lake Macquarie icon, the Belmont Hotel.
Prior to his current role at the hotel, Terry held the role of venue manager at Swansea Workers Club, Swansea RSL and Catherine Hill Bay Bowling Club.
"Originally I am from Dubbo where I started out at the local RSL as a cleaner and then a barman and worked my way up within the industry," he said.
"That was 33 years ago and I figured it might be time for a change away from clubs."
"Originally I am from Dubbo where I started out at the local RSL as a cleaner and then a barman and worked my way up within the industry..."
While Terry has found a number of similarities between his former role in clubs and his current role at the hotel, such as staffing and general operations, there are some differences.
"This is more relaxed atmosphere and I report to the owners rather than a board of directors, which is good because there is a very clear understanding and direction for the venue," he said.
Looking forward, Terry and owners the Paul Irvan Hotel Group have both immediate and long-terms plans for the venue, including a refurbishment of the outdoor area just in time for the summer season.
"Over the next couple of weeks we will begin upgrading the beer garden to include cabana-style seating and a more relaxed summer feeling atmosphere," he said.
"We also want to focus on drawing families to the venue through our Taste of Thai food offering, kids eating free and trivia.
"Live music is also something we are going to focus on. I understand there wasn't a large focus on that before I came, but we will be having a mix of bands, duos, and soloists, just the best acts we can, along with DJs as well, right across the weekend."
"We also want to focus on drawing families to the venue through our Taste of Thai food offering, kids eating free and trivia..."
Belmont Hotel also has 14 recently refurbished guest rooms and is one of Lake Macquarie's most iconic hotel's having won the prestigious Sulman Award for its architectural merit in 1956.
Every week the venue offers a broad range of entertainment options from live music, pub poker, trivia, pool comps, punters club and food specials such as Monday curry nights.
Belmont Hotel
483-485 Pacific Hwy Belmont, New South Wales,
Australia 2280 (02) 4945 0444