A JOURNEY OF FOOD & WINE
By Melissa Walsh
I
t’s been ten years since Joe and Giselle Padula bought the Canadian Bay Hotel and Mt Eliza couldn’t be luckier to have such a dynamic duo who bring good old fashioned service and decades of hospitality experience to the area. With Joe having been in the hotel industry for over 44 years and Giselle working alongside him in various capacities, the couple are switched on when it comes to their trade. Peninsula Essence visits the couple at their corner pub, the Canadian Bay Hotel, to find out all about their hospitality adventures. A Brunswick lad, Joe became a Mt Eliza person in 1988, after meeting the love of his life, Giselle and marrying two years later. “I had been in hospitality for years and met Giselle when she came in looking for part time work at the Riversdale while studying at university,” said Joe, who has also managed the Half Moon, The Blarney Stone, Zagames and the Bridge Hotel to name a few. “She had always been a Mt Eliza girl so I quickly followed her down here and bought the Royal Hotel.”
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It wasn’t long before the couple made their mark on the peninsula, having owned The Royal and Kirks, and creating a family life with their three children. As with all the most interesting stories, Joe’s career in hospitality started by default. “I was only a youngster and someone rang me saying they needed a fill in person for the night at a pub. I just loved it and, from the first night, was immediately hooked. I learnt the trade as I went and did a bit of everything from managing to dishes, and in the middle did a bit of study,” said Joe, of the business he describes as “in his blood”. As for Giselle, she has dabbled in their hotel business while raising their three children. Buying the Canadian Bay Hotel was their first official joint venture. “I had my babies so didn’t have to work which was lovely, but once the youngest went to school and when this came about we decided we might as well do it together. That was ten years ago and we are still loving every minute,” said Giselle who is now one of continued next page...
May 2018