St Andrews rock-themed restaurant Ziggy’s has announced it is closing after 42 years.
The popular venue is run by husband and wife Phil and Annie Wishart, who count many celebrities and even royalty among their customers.
Prince William, Open Golf champions and other well-known faces have all dined at the Murray Place spot.
And restaurant mascot, Ziggy the coyote, even enjoyed a trip around Europe, courtesy of former England footballer Ian Wright and Ryder Cup stalwart Ian Poulter.
“It disappeared one night and we assumed it would turn up in a hotel room,” said Phil.
“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 celebrity high jinks, Phil and Annie insist their regular customers are just as important to them.
And that’s why their phone has been ringing off the hook as people clamour for a table on May 10, their last night.
How it all began
Ziggy’s is St Andrews‘ longest-serving independent family-run restaurant.
The idea was sparked during a trip to London, where Phil and Annie spotted long queues outside the Hard Rock Cafe in the middle of winter.
“I’ve always been interested in music and that was the beginning of it,” Phil said.
The couple set about filling the venue with original rock music memorabilia.
And their walls are now covered with signed photos, guitars and posters from some of the world’s top artists.
A popular menu that includes burgers, ribs and steaks, and a rock soundtrack made Ziggy’s a go-to institution.
“We’ve seen massive changes in the town over the years,” said Phil.
“We’ve seen them come and go but we’ve just kept our head down and built up a good clientele base.”
No queue-jumping for celebrities
Ziggy’s became a favourite of Prince William during his time at St Andrews University.
“He was a regular,” Phil said.
“He used to phone to book and called himself Mr Wales.
“We’ve had countless names, including most of the Open champions.
“But we respect everybody, no matter who they are, and we’ve tried to treat everybody the same way.
“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.”
Could Ziggy’s ever return to St Andrews?
New owners are poised to take over the Ziggy’s premises.
However, they are planning to refurbish and change the name before reopening with their own venture.
Meanwhile, Phil and Annie are considering auctioning off their huge collection of memorabilia in aid of St Andrews Foodbank.
Despite their retiral, they are retaining the Ziggy’s name.
And they teased it could return at some point.
“Ziggy’s won’t be appearing again for a while but there might be something else,” said Phil.
“Our kids are both in the business, so might be looking to do something.”
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