Paddy’s Point La Zenia, Spain

Celebrating 20 years of success with Irish owners Rory Lee & Hazel Connor

We recently met with Rory Lee & Hazel Connor, the young, successful Irish couple running Paddy’s Point in La Zenia Spain, to discover the secret to their success.

Although Paddy’s Point Irish pub has just celebrated their 20th Anniversary in June 2019, Rory and Hazel were immediately graciously keen to point out when he started chatting, that the secret to their success to date was the support that they received from day one from their parents, their tremendous staff and their customers.

Anyway, enjoy our conversation below:

Hazel, when did you first come to Spain and get involved in Paddy’s Point?

Hazel: I was studying Spanish at University in Ireland and came over to Spain to practice the language for the summer. I started work in Paddy’s Point on opening day, June 4th, 1999, along with my friend Yolanda. It was the first Irish Pub in the area, and twenty years later I’m still here.

Rory: I saw a job advertised in the local Irish press that a barman was wanted in Spain, and after a phone conversation with the then owner Bernie Comaskey, I headed over to Spain to start work in April 2000, with just a rucksack on my back and a hundred pounds in my pocket. My first day didn’t go so well. I’d arrived the night before, in the dark, and got lost on my way to the Pub and arrived about an hour late for work. Hazel’s Spanish friend, Yolanda, was the manager of the Pub, and even though I got a good telling off, I’ve been here ever since.

Have you always worked in in the Hostelry Business?

Hazel: No, it was just something I discovered I enjoyed doing. I took a year off from my language degree and returned to La Zenia to meet some friends I’d left behind, and that’s when I first met Rory.

I was offered a job by the then owners Bernie’s son Ian Comaskey, who ran a Spanish property business at the time, where I stayed for the next five years, but I also worked part-time in the Pub with Rory.

Rory: My family owned a small local pub in Roscommon and so I grew up in the business. After I finished school, I decided I wanted to work abroad, as my friends were either starting work or going to University.

I was offered a manager’s position in Malta and spent a year there. I returned to Ireland but I’d been struck by the travel bug, so I jumped at the chance to work in Paddy’s Point as a barman and 20 years later I’m still here and still loving it.

What’s the secret of making Paddy’s Point Irish Pub such a success?

Hazel: I believe that our customers like familiarity, and a home from home atmosphere. Having so many longterm staff helps achieve this every day, and new team members tend to follow in their footsteps. Of course, the real secret of making any business successful is to love what you do. I am a people person, so is Rory. And there you have it. I could not tell you how many people we meet daily - a lot! Many of our customers have become our friends over the years.

Rory: Most of our staff have been with us for many years. There are two in particular who deserve a special mention, Alan(our Bar Manager) & Marie(our General Manager) who have both clocked up nearly 18 years of excellent service. With such a great team of people it probably unfair to highlight just two, but every team

member play as vital a part as Hazel and I do, and most importantly we make sure that they know it.

We opened the very first Paddy’s Point kitchen when we took over the Pub back in 2008. Anne and Danielle helped us set us that very first kitchen and are still running the kitchen operation today, and to both of them, a public thank you from us.

Both Hazel and I are aware that it’s looking after your staff and treating them with respect, means you get that respect and trust back.

This is probably the key ingredient in our continued success.

You have two daughters, Cloe and Isabel. How do you manage to juggle family and work life?

Hazel: Both of our daughters were born in Spain. Our first daughter, Cloe, was born on Christmas eve, 2002. Isabel was born in 2008, and both of them go to school in Murcia. We live very close to work, and now Cloe also works parttime at Paddy’s Point, so it’s very much a family business. Isabel, although only ten years of age, believes that all of the team in Paddy’s Point are her friends and that’s a massive testament to the quality of the people working with us. Rory: It’s easier now that the girls are a bit older, but when they were younger, it was difficult, doing the school runs, after school activities, homework, while trying to make a success of the business.

What do you do to relax when you find a spare moment?

Hazel: Between family life and running the business I don’t have a lot of spare time but when I do, I like to relax at home with a good book. Or spend quality time with the kids. I love going out for dinner. I also love to walk. There is a lovely coastal walk close to us here in La Zenia, and I try to do that a few times a week. Rory and I did a week of the Camino de Santiago last year and loved it. We want to go back and do more of the stages in the future.

Rory: I play golf, but very poorly. But I’m a massive Liverpool football fan, and it is my passion. I have been fortunate that the Paddy’s Point worldwide reputation has attracted numerous sporting legends from every sporting denomination to visit our Pub and as an avid sports fan, you could say I’m living the sports supporters dream because I get to meet them in person.

Where do you like to go on holiday?

Hazel: It’s vital for us to take a family holiday every year, we’ve been lucky enough to go on cruises for a few years, and that’s a great family holiday. With the girls being older now the last couple of years we have gone to America. Which they loved. And of course, we go home to Ireland to see our families whenever we can. We’ve taken the kids to a lot of different places over the last few years, but their favourite thing to do is still to go back to Ireland to their grandparents!

Rory: When Cloe was first born, we didn’t have time for holidays as obviously 80 hours week were pretty much the norm until we got the bar established.

“We went on our first cruise back in 2010, our first big, proper family holiday. We left the business in the capable hands of our managers and staff and off we went! Since then we have gone away every year, usually in January, as the winter months are our quietest time.”

Finally, 20 years of business success is not down to just two individuals and Rory & Hazel would especially like to recognise once again their parents, Jimmy & Bridie Lee, David & Stephanie Connor for their belief, their time, and their unfailing support for guiding this unique couple along the tricky business path to today’s unique Irish success story.

To the team at Paddy’s Point, every single day, you make us both proud to work with you.

Rory & Hazel

To visit our website: www.paddyspoint.com or pop in and say hello.

P.S. The Chicken Goujons are to die for !!!!! Tell them, Go Wild sent you.