Inverness’s vacant Rose Street Foundry restaurant and bar in Academy Street will reopen in autumn under new ownership; Betty’s Restaurant and Bar marks an expansion into the Highland capital by Heron House Group, which runs Elgin’s Drouthy Cobbler and the Bonnie Beastie in Forres
Twenty-five new jobs are to be created when a new restaurant and bar opens in Inverness’s Rose Street Foundry this autumn, it has been announced.
Heron House Group - the company behind the renowned Drouthy Cobbler in Elgin and Bonnie Beastie in Forres - has confirmed it will be expanding into Inverness when the new Betty's Restaurant and Cocktail Bar opens at the historic Academy Street site.
The vacant building has sat empty since February, when Cairngorm Taverns closed the doors of The Rose Street Foundry restaurant and bar.
The new eatery is said to be inspired by the brasseries of New York, and Heron House Group describes it as offering “offer accessible dining in sumptuous surroundings” and featuring everything “from artisan sandwiches over lunch, to lobster frites and Scottish staples such as fish and chips”.
They are promising that the restaurant will “cater to all tastes using fresh, local produce” and that the new-look venue’s 50-seat bar area will also be stocked with “fabulous wines, beers and masterfully created cocktails” that will “complement the dining offering”.
Kevin Smith, the co-founder and director of Heron House Group, said: “Following the success of Drouthy Cobbler and Bonnie Beastie, we have long been searching for the ideal property in Inverness to expand and I’m delighted that work is now underway to open later this year.
“My husband, Tony, and I were inspired to create Bettys Restaurant and Cocktail Bar by our travels to New York City - creating a venue that combines a bustling atmosphere and luxury elegancy with an industrial backdrop, while offering the very best of local produce.
“I look forward to working closely with the local community as we begin work on the interior of the building, ahead of its opening this autumn, and would welcome applications from those interested in becoming part of the Bettys family.”
Mr Smith previously held the role of managing director at The Craigellachie Hotel, spearheading its relaunch in 2013. Leaving this position to open his own venues, Smith first opened Drouthy Cobbler in 2021, before expanding to Bonnie Beastie in 2022.
Mr Smith is joined in this new venture by his partner, Tony Pollock, an established businessperson in Inverness who owns and runs the successful Tony Christopher Hair Salon.
For more information on Heron House Group, or to find out more about the upcoming vacancies at Bettys Restaurant and Cocktail Bar, visit www.heronhouse.uk.
News of the new occupant in the iconic Rose Street Foundry building is the latest in a string of positive business-related developments within the city centre’s hospitality trade - following confirmation last week that the former Filling Station bar and restaurant will reopen as The Pizzeria later this month, and the imminent opening of the revamped and transformed Scran Kitchen food court area in the Eastgate Shopping Centre.
