Kyle McGarry and Anton Richardson are preparing to welcome customers into La Buena Tapa in Bathgate, a 100-seater restaurant serving Spanish tapas inspired by a joint holiday to Malaga four years ago.
The duo met at a Hampden Park event years ago as they both worked in fine dining. They have since collaborated on various projects and built a strong working relationship.
Bringing a 'mini-holiday' to Bathgate
The restaurant, set to open on September 3 at 47 Hopetoun Street, aims to offer a "different experience" and provide locals with a "mini-holiday of their own."
Speaking to Edinburgh Live, co-owner Anton said: "The whole idea came from everybody loving to be on holiday and we just want to bring that to Bathgate."
"It was inspired by a holiday to Malaga. Years ago when we first started working together we decided to book a last minute holiday and we just absolutely fell in love with it - the culture, food. We loved it all."
Spanish atmosphere and community support
"We're wanting our guests to feel like they are also in Spain. You'll come inside and there will be Spanish food, Spanish vibes, cocktails etc. We are also going to have flamenco nights and Spanish wine tasting nights - we just want it to be an all around Spanish experience," Anton added.
Since making the business announcement, Anton said their social media has "blown up" and the Bathgate community has shown them much support. He added: "The social media's been crazy - it's blown up. People have been wanting to book tables straight away - the support has been unbelievable."
Opening day offer
"I've been looking at Bathgate for quite a while - I only live 10 minutes away. This location has just turned out perfect," he said. "We've also created this because we wanted somewhere to bring everybody together. It feels like a big accomplishment for us because we are all about our family, and obviously tapas is something you can enjoy with everyone and it gets the whole family together - it's like a banquet."
On the opening day, the doors will open at 5pm and the first 100 customers will share 100 plates of tapas for free. Anton said: "It's really exciting and we're hoping there will be a queue down the street."
