Situated in the heart of Charters Towers, the gateway town to Queensland’s outback, The Rix Hotel has earned its name as a hub of mixology.
Well-renowned for its cocktail bar, The Cellar Bar, and Beast & Barrel restaurant, Owner Noel Jesberg explains how The Rix brought a cosmopolitan energy to a town that is steeped in history.
“I am a third-generation publican, The White Horse in Charters Towers has been in my family for 72 years and I had always dreamt of buying a second. I wanted something that harked back to the old-style hotel but with an edge.”
“I’ve had a long love affair with cocktails and wanted our little pub to replicate what I enjoy most about what mixologists in the bars in capital cities were creating. That level of sophistication has long been underestimated in the bush, but we are proving our crowd want a slice of that city energy and then some.”
“When we bought the hotel, it had been shut for over twelve months. Vandalised and home to roving vagrants, it was a far cry from what it is today. It was a bold move, people said we were mad – but we had to be!”
“Charters Towers is home to maverick Federal MP Bob Katter, he was a complete sceptic and made no secret of it. Hell, even the mayor told us that we had overcapitalised in a town like Charters Towers. There was no shortage of doubters, but like anyone who has a crack, you must hold onto your convictions.”
“It was a risk, but we made a calculated decision based on what was happening in Townsville and other regional larger cities in our vicinity. They’d finally started to mimic what the capital cities had been doing for years, there was a distinct shift in how the industry was evolving.”
On a journey that took seven years to become the much-loved venue that it is today, The Rix Hotel first tested the water by offering upmarket wines and playing around with cocktails. After its first foray into food was a hit, it soon began to expand its offering.
“We knew we were on the right track and blindly followed our gut to offer something a little bit fancy, but still on price point with our competitors. We couldn’t price ourselves out of the game.”
“Cocktails are such an integral part of the vibe now. For a myriad of reasons, the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown sparked a love for the luxe things in life. The punters valued what they had lost and came back with a vengeance and an insatiable appetite for cocktails!”
“We are normally two years behind the cities in trends, although this is changing rapidly and I guess we are the impetus for that shift. We keep pushing those long held boundaries that country pubs have been locked into.”
“[In our Cellar Bar] espresso martinis outstrip every other cocktail. It is double the sales to our second biggest seller, pina colada followed by the French martini and the porn star martini. A giant step back to the pure booze cocktails of the 1920s!”
“Our shaken shots are also right up there, they are massive in our venue, cost effective to make and they’re good bang for buck for the customer.”
“Lunchtime cocktails have become the norm in an outback town where beer had a stronghold, and a treat was a glass of rum and coke. One of our proudest achievements has been integrally changing that energy. Challenging the tried and true.”
“The journey for our bar and restaurant has an exciting road ahead with yet another bold plan in the pipeline. We’re just warming up – you can’t sit back and think you’ve got it in the bag, reinvention is the key to success.”
Winner of Best Overall Hotel (Regional) at the Queensland Hotels Association Awards, The Rix Hotel brings an elevated food and drink experience to a small Queensland community. Setting itself apart from its competitors, Jesberg sees the premium offering of the quaint pub as an integral part of its success.
“For those of you like us in regional centres, don’t underestimate your clientele. Everyone loves something a little bit fancy!”
