Popular roadside eatery The Pitstop is under new ownership as the McMillan family has taken the reins.
Originally run by Roy Minty – from 1998 up until earlier this year – The Pitstop is located on the A96 and is well known for its tasty yet affordable cooked breakfasts and hearty meals.
Roy sought out new owners after deciding to hang up his apron and retire in January.
Now a new set of owners have stepped up to the plate to serve customers at the unique cafe.
Mairi McMillan is now heading the operation at The Pitstop, which for some time was also referred to as ‘Roy’s Bus’. However, she says it is very much a “family affair.”
The Pitstop: A new era
Not only are there fresh faces working behind the scenes at The Pitstop, but it also has a slightly revamped menu and a new look.
It now boasts an eye-catching tartan exterior, which was painted by Mairi and her family in recent weeks.
Mairi said: “We set the change over date [from the previous owners] the second week of the summer holidays for the end of August, but thankfully we got it a week earlier than planned which allowed us to do some cosmetic upgrades.
“The whole family is involved. I am the main person for the bus with my daughter Erin and step-daughter Holly working alongside me at weekends and holidays.”
As well as Erin and Holly, Mairi’s stepson Stuart, son Andrew, husband Ian, and friends Susan Moody and Katarina Rogers have helped give the bus a new lease of life.
Mairi’s eldest son Douglas currently works in Fort William. However, he plans to come and work relief on the bus when it is required and when his schedule allows.
The youngest family member, Ruairidh, is just four years old, although is already keen to get stuck into the action and has helped paint the surrounding fences and “likes to sweep the floor”.
Mairi added: “We knew we wanted to freshen the bus up.
“It was looking a bit tired and off-putting from the outside, so we knew we would have to invest some money in bringing it back to life.”
Tartan legacy
In terms of the new tartan exterior, Mairi went on to say: “I knew I wanted to include Roy and his family in some way in the upgrades, so I reached out to his daughter Lesley to find out what tartans were part of the family.
“The Strachan is Roy’s mum’s tartan, so we decided to base the outside on that tartan.
“We felt a strong connection to family and wanted our own represented there too, so have included all our family tartans on other aspects of the bus. It is just little nods here and there.”
The menus and staff aprons have been adorned with a combination of the Grant, Smith, McMillan, Monoghan, and Mackie tartans.
Supporting local
The new owners employed local businesses to help with refurbishing the bus. One job included installing new windows.
Local artist Penny Downes – who is currently exhibiting in the NEOS Open Studios event – Intro Creative, Tawse Tyres and LOUnique Creations were among them.
“My husband has been instrumental in getting the bus back to shipshape condition,” Mairi said.
“He is a handyman and has fixed leaks, changed the windows, built bin stores, replaced burst pipes and fixed extractor fans, to name a few things.
“Ian and I were working very long days and nights to turn it around in time.”
Despite his retirement, Roy – who came into possession of the former coach while working as a sales representative in the area – is lending a hand at The Pitstop until Mairi and the team find their feet.
Mairi added: “Roy and Lesley agreed to help mentor me in the way they have done things and share their recipes so people could expect the same taste as they had for all that time.
“I have added toasties and baked potatoes to the menu and will have a homemade soup each day.
“We have tried to put the prices back down a little for the time being, as being a big family we appreciate value for money. We want to be as accessible as we can be for all budgets for as long as possible.”
The team is hopeful to add a vegetarian selection to the menu in time for the festive period, as well as expand their cakes and tray bakes offering.
“We also hope to be able to afford some cosmetic upgrades to the inside seating areas and flooring,” Mairi added.
“When the budget allows we will consider our options on this or perhaps converting a new bus, but it will always be tartan now. The tartan bus has our hearts.”
The Pitstop is open from 8am to 3pm Wednesday to Saturday and 8.30am to 3pm on Sundays. For more information, visit The Pitstop – The Tartan Bus on Facebook.
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