On 4th May 2010 the owner, Laura Knight,
based in Holt, announced that she had sold the
Orgasmic Café chain - which she started
in 2001, including branches in York and Lincoln -
to Inventive Leisure Ltd, owners of the Revolution chain.

She had expected the Café to close at the end of May;
but it staggered along into July, waiting for builders. . .

Based on her income from the sale,
Ms. Knight declared the ownership change as -

Very positive news for Norwich and the economy;
as it demonstrates that businesses in the hospitality
sector, in the right location, can still command
high prices; and large national companies
want a presence in our city.

This hotel was built in the "Flemish style" of local
Costessey bricks.
The original owner was Sir Kenneth Hagar Kemp,
who also took up the licence on 9th October 1897.

Interestingly, he made way for a new licensee very
soon after (8.2.1898); whose name was redolent of
the old Royal Hotel : namely, Charles Butcher.
Butcher was in place until July 1901.

Owners by 1924 were Royal Hotel Norwich Ltd.
Later "Queens Moat Houses" took over.
The latter became insolvent in 1986 and had to
sell to Whitbread's brewery.

Whitbreads had no intention to keep the hotel open,
and the bulk of the building was put to other uses.

However, the hotel's public bar (on the Bank Plain side)
was allowed to re-open in 1989; and this has
changed hands several times since.

In the late 1990s Chicago Rock closed; but had
re-opened, in greatly enhanced premises
in Prince of Wales Road, by 2001.

One of The Royal's claims to fame was to
play host to Prime Minister Harold Wilson.
Wilson was less than impressed by the ale(s) on offer,
and aides had to be despatched from the rear entrance,
across Bank Street, to obtain S. & P. beer
from the Bank Tavern.

A photographic record of 1935 can be found in :
PLUNKETT, George : Commemorative Collection.