In 1935, as the Queen Mary took shape on the Clyde, Rogano restaurant was fitted out in the same Art Deco style as the great Cunard liner and a classic of Glasgow hospitality was created. On Friday 20th March 2020, 84 years of uninterrupted trading came to an end when the restaurant closed alongside other hospitality venues in the city for what was anticipated to be a pause, in line with government guidance at the time.
Rogano was active on social media and posting about future plans. Then between December 2020 and January 2021 Something changes. After a period of silence it became clear in court document that damage to the restaurant left it unable to reopen. The ramifications are now the subject of a protracted legal action between a Glasgow business family and Spain’s richest man.
Zara clothing chain founder Amancio Ortega, estimated to be worth £90billion, owns the building that is home to Rogano through his family investment firm, Pontegadea. Lynn and James Mortimer have operated Rogano since 2006 when they bought the restaurant for £6 million through Forthwell Ltd. Scotland’s highest civil court heard last year that “substantial damage” was caused to the restaurant due to flooding on three different occasions between December 9 2020 and January 10 2021.
Now a Supreme Court Hearing in May will decide on whether the Mortimer family should be compensated for loss of income while Rogano restaurant languishes in disrepair. You can read more about this legal tussle here.
After the Supreme Court ruling on this matter, the legal case will return to Scottish courts with a ruling expected on who is responsible for repairing and restoring the restaurant to full working order. What condition the dining room and kitchen is in, how much of the original fixtures and Art Deco details remain in place, are questions that should be answered once the judges have had their say.
Today we are taking a look back at the story of Rogano restaurant and how it became a treasured part of Glasgow hospitality.
5. Rogano
Donald Grant did not just influence how the restaurant looked, he also left a legacy of using Scottish produce which has survived. During the 1940s and 1950s, with Grant at the helm, the restaurant had its own stretch of river for salmon, it brought lobsters from Brora and oysters from Portpatrick. | Rogano
6. Rogano
It 2009, Ian Smith was the general manager and the restaurant had 70 staff. He told The Scotsman: "We learned a lot about service from a great man called John Mitchell." Mitchell was a barman at Rogano in the 1950s who returned to run the bar after the refurbishment in the 1980s. "I don't know how he never got fed up saying to people 'How's the weather?' or 'How is it out there?' but he never did. He'd do it over and over again but the customers never knew. He got to know people because he knew how to start a simple conversation without being intrusive." | Rogano
7. The Rogano
Janey Godley had dinner with Anthony Bourdain for an episode of his CNN travel show Parts Unknown. | CNN
8. Rogano
Rod Stewart was a frequent diner at Rogano restaurant, other celebrities including Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, Mick Jagger, Sir Alex Ferguson, Kylie Minogue, Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Harvey Keitel, David Bowie and Tony Bennett have dined there. | Rogano