The owner of a popular restaurant located in the heart of West Belfast has thanked the local community for its support over the last 15 years.
In 2007, Paul McCann opened Temple on the Andersonstown Road and wanted it to be a place where families and friends could go to for good food and a welcoming atmosphere. It is now a highly thought of business, attracting people from right across Belfast.
Each week, staff at Temple see their regular customers come through their doors, and will often know their food and drink orders without having to be told.
Read more: West Belfast pizza shop going above and beyond for the community
Speaking to Belfast Live, Paul said he and his team have seen families come to Temple for celebrations including birthdays, christenings and even weddings.
"The last 15 years have been a joy," he said.
"We opened in June 2007 and it really doesn't feel like 15 years at all, the time has gone by so quickly. We are seeing the same faces all the time and you see different generations too.
"There would have been christening parties here 15 years ago, and now those babies are not babies anymore, and are coming here for their Holy Communions and Confirmations. We have also had people come here for their weddings too and it is great to welcome them back.
"We always have a really good atmosphere, no matter what day it is. The place is always buzzing. A lot of our customers are local, so when they come, they'll meet people they maybe haven't seen in a while. They'll be having conversations across the tables.
"When we closed because of Covid, we did miss it, seeing people and the day to day running of the restaurant. I would be out on the floor, even though my background is more in the kitchen as a chef, I am not out onto the floor."
Paul says the staff at Temple are all local men and women, and that they are more like family than colleagues. And they have all now created bonds with their customer base.
"I don't have a high turnover of staff and people like to stay because it is local to them and it is enjoyable," he added.
"The craic is good on the floor and in the kitchen. We have a really great team, couldn't ask for better. I wouldn't say we are a fancy place to go, we are a comfort eating restaurant, a family restaurant. Somewhere you can go and get a big portion. People know what they are getting before they come.
"We are right in the middle of Andersontown here and local to a lot of bars, so people would come to Temple for a bite to eat before heading out to one of the bars on the road.
"The last 15 years have been great, to meet new customers and to continue to welcome those regular customers too. We want to thank all those customers who have supported us over those years, even through lockdown they were there and came straight back when we were able to open again.
"They have kept us going and there is never any hassle. We couldn't put in to words how grateful we are for them."
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