Thursday June 12, 2025
Volume 40 No. 20
$2 inc. GST
The Cobar Weekly Extra $15M funding for RFDS Pg 3
Raising a cup for Cancer Council Pg 3 & 6
Man charged with multiple theft offences Pg 7
New owner operator for Empire Hotel
It’s a fresh start for one of the town’s local Ben joked. to get to when you walk in.” watering holes, with the Empire Hotel offi- As for the team at the Empire, it’s mostly The sale has been in the works since Novemcially changing hands this week. business as usual. ber last year, and Ben’s excited to finally be Hospitality veteran Ben Ryan opened the “We’re keeping the staff, a couple of back- here. doors as the new owner on Tuesday, stepping packers, Kahmal and some returning faces, and “There’s a great vibe in town. into the role of owner-operator after taking a few local girls.” “Every time we’ve visited, catching up with over the freehold. Next on Ben’s to-do list? He was heading Andrew and Cindy, it just felt like a good Ben’s no stranger to the industry having 20 down to Harvey Norman (supporting local spot.” years under his belt, and he brings a wealth of business), putting new TVs in the bar, and So next time you’re in the Empire, say hello experience to the Empire. moving the TAB terminal, “just make it easier to Ben as he’s keen to meet the locals. Ben also runs a bottle shop with his business partner in Charleville. When the opportunity came up to take on the Empire last year, they jumped at it. “We’ve got a liquor retail background, and when a drive-through bottle shop shut down in a mining town, we saw it as a great opportunity,” Ben said. The plan is to give the pub a bit of a refresh with spruce up of the bar, create some activity, and expand the bottle shop. “We want to open the bottle shop up so people can walk in, browse a bit, especially for wine shoppers.” There will also be a change to the menu. “The boys who do the food at the Copper City and the Western will be handling the kitchen here as well,” he said. “Cindy, [the former owner], is due for a wellearned break. She didn’t want to get back on the tongs, which is fair enough!” New stock started to arrive yesterday and Ben’s hoping to have the bottle shop up and running by Friday. “You know how it goes, the best laid plans and all that.” Ben will be living onsite, out the back in one of the flats, while his wife and two grown-up Ben Ryan is the new owner at the Empire Hotel. Ben (and his business partner) took over teens stay back at home in Moss Vale. “They’ll be getting a bit of a break from me,” ownership of the hotel from Cindy and Andrew Bryan on Tuesday.