A FAMILY-RUN rock-themed restaurant in the coastal town of St Andrews is set to close its doors after 42 years.
The popular venue Ziggy’s is run by husband-and-wife Phil and Annie Wishart, who have been serving locals and celebrities for more than four decades.
Open Golf champions and other well-known faces have all dined at the Murray Place eatery, and the restaurant mascot, Ziggy the coyote, even enjoyed a trip around Europe, after former England footballer Ian Wright and golfer Ian Poulter took it for a tour.
“It disappeared one night and we assumed it would turn up in a hotel room,” Phil told the Courier.
“It turned out they had taken it as a prank.
“They took it on a European tour and there were photographs of it with celebrities in a golf magazine!
“A year to the day later, they came back and brought the coyote back with them.”
Despite having countless celebrities turn up at the restaurant, both Phil and Annie insist their regular customers are just as important to them.
“We respect everybody, no matter who they are, and we’ve tried to treat everybody the same way,” Phil said.
“During the Open Championship, we didn’t take any bookings and had long queues.
“Some celebrities would come to the front and try to get in, but we’d very politely tell them to join the queue.”
Since the couple's announcement to call it a day for St Andrews’ longest-serving independent family-run restaurant, they have been inundated with people reserving a table before their final day on May 10.
Ziggy’s was founded following a trip to London, where Phil and Annie spotted long queues outside the Hard Rock Cafe in the middle of winter, which sparked the idea of them owning their own rock-themed restaurant.
“I’ve always been interested in music and that was the beginning of it,” Phil said.
The couple soon set about filling the venue with original rock music memorabilia, with the walls now covered with signed photos, guitars and posters of some of the world’s top musical artists.
Ziggy’s became a popular go-to institution in the seaside town thanks to their menu that includes burgers, ribs and steaks, along with a rock and roll soundtrack.
