The Publican: Lee James Rothe

 

This is my first appointment in hospitality, the first job I've ever had in the industry. Born in Medindie SA in 1974, spent my first 7 years in Fairview Park before relocating to Gawler in 1980, grew up in Gawler through-out the 80's....attending Gawler Primary and Gawler High Schools before leaving school mid year 11, just wasn't for me and I felt it was getting tougher. A dream of someday taking on the adult world saw me start working in the kitchen at McDonald's Hindley Street (oh boy what an eye-opener that was as a 16yr old). After 4.5yrs as a kitchen-hand and giving management plenty of teenage attitude I found a position as Maintenance Man (basically all night cleaner) at McDonald's Trinity Gardens on Magill Rd.....2yrs later someone asked me to go for a production line job at General Motors - Holdens. Scored that job and stayed for ten years, took a package to leave in 2007 and started working for myself in signage & printing under the banner ZoroSigns. Worked for myself building a fair size regular client base with a little shop on Prospect Rd in Kilburn, after 3yrs opened a second sign shop in Port Adelaide, this time an office/warehouse where we did jobs much bigger than we were able to at Kilburn. After 12 years I got sick of waiting on monies owed from large companies with urgent jobs to be done.....looked into mining but no one would have a 40 something dude so looked into Rideshare and drove for Uber, Ola and Didi clients for another 5yrs before stars aligned to be able to purchase The Gunny, and here we are......at 51 living the dream that I gained when I was only 18. Another dream I have conquered since a kid was speedway racing. With an uncle that used to race at Rowley Park Speedway on Torrens Road, I gained the dream of one day going dirt track racing myself.