Family Business
Issue No. 46 - April/May 2009
Quest for family
It’s not hard to find a pub in Adelaide, so Harrison Grigg is determined to make his family’s pub the best of the lot.
It’s an ambitious goal for a 20 yearold, but Harrison’s not like most people his age.
While many of his mates are visiting bars, Harrison is managing one, on Pulteney Street diagonally opposite the new Rundle Mall Lantern.
The Grigg family bought the Mansion Hotel 12 years ago and the adjacent Quest Mansions three years ago. Harrison works 36 to 61 hours a week in his role as Operations Manager of Mansions.
It’s truly a family run business with 11 family members working at the hotel and accommodation, including both Harrison’s grandfathers, John and Thorald, and his parents Jenny and Ian.
“I can still to this day remember 12 years ago the first time dad and I walked down the front stairs, but I didn’t start working in the venue until work experience when I was in grade seven,” says Harrison.
“Since then, as much as my mother would have wanted me to do otherwise, all I wanted was to work in hospitality - especially along side my father.
“My father and grandfather have trained me how to work in this industry since day one. Whether it was re-setting a table or changing over a keg it had to be done a certain way, as they have always held high standards of operating the venue.”
Harrison made his presence felt when he determined the venue needed remodelling.
His family approved the project.
“The idea began with me writing down improvements roughly a year and a half ago; I still have the bit of paper!” he says.
“It included changes in uniforms, marketing, lights, TV screens, menus and so on. It was my starting point. Before long I had architects come to see my father and me about ideas they had.
“After countless meetings and ideas we came up with a concept. During construction I was at the hotel with my dad and cousin every day, helping out.”
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