Developer using Donald Trump slogan to make best place to live in Wales 'great again'

Denbighshire developer Mike Hall owns a French wine bar, an Italian-style coffee shop and a British à la carte restaurant. Next in line is an American Diner, which somehow seems entirely appropriate when you consider the ambitious vision he has for his home town.

“Donald Trump beat me to it!” he said, speaking of his "rejuvenation" plans. “It’s basically, Make Ruthin Great Again. It’s as simple as that. I want Ruthin to be put back on the map, and for there to be a reason for people to come here and enjoy our beautiful town.”

Like many towns and villages, he said, Ruthin has been caught in a spiral of High Street closures and the loss of banks and services. Small independent shops have struggled as town centre footfall declines, in turn adding to pressures on pubs and restaurants.

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Yet few places have so much potential. Only last year Ruthin was named the “best place to live in Wales” by the Sunday Times. Ruthin, said the newspaper, was a “small town with big ambitions and an even bigger heart”.

Mike is certainly dreaming big. “We need to make Ruthin a vibrant town, with lots going on and lots to offer, so others start to invest in the town’s shops and facilities,” said the 50-year-old father-of-two. “I would like to see Ruthin thriving with visitors, and bouncing with locals, everyone enjoying the town’s beauty.

“I want to make it a better place for my kids, and grandkids. I want them to want to stay in Ruthin, rather than what my age group did, which was leave because there was nothing here for them. Create something that’s a legacy for future generations.”

Over the past decade, Mike has bought and renovated several properties in Ruthin – not just restaurants and cafes but bars, luxury Airbnbs and rentals for local people. Some conversions were motivated by a desire to safeguard the town’s historic buildings by finding new uses for them. Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone

He moved to Ruthin as a baby with his pub landlord parents. After growing up in the town he returned to live there having qualified as a chartered accountant. Meeting his future, Ruthin-born wife was another motivation for coming back. “I love living here,” he said.

Mike’s vision is to make Ruthin a place where people will want to remain, settle or visit. The goal is a critical mass of venues and facilities to prevent visitors - and residents - being lured instead to Chester, Liverpool and Manchester. Ruthin’s offer, he said, must appeal to “foodies and tourists from across the country and beyond”.

He reckons he’s doing his bit, having put “my own money” into several town centre projects. Mike calls them regeneration schemes. As the owner of G Parry Home Improvements, he began with a few terraced residential properties before converting several Grade II-listed buildings into Airbnbs.

He said: “I was then presented with a few opportunities to buy some commercial properties, which we have begun to convert into new venues for locals and visitors to enjoy.” The first of these was an historic property on the main St Peter’s Square. Opened in January this year as No 11, Mike made a point of preserving the building “beautiful” timber framework. He also painted the outside pink.

Mike has lofty ambitions for the place. “I love food and I have always hankered for a great restaurant in Ruthin, one that can achieve a Michelin star,” he said. “We have some way to go, but we are aiming high! I want to attract as many foodies as possible.”

Next to open was a tiny coffee shop, again on the square, with a classic Italian styling. As well as coffee, teas and even afternoon cocktails, Caffe Grande serves pupachinos for four-legged visitors.

Launching in late September was French wine bar Jacques, off Ruthin’s main square and located in a Grade II converted townhouse. It offers live music and more than 100 wines. “This really is a gem, offering a back street Parisian feel,” enthused Mike.

For his next venture, he’s looking to appeal to a younger demographic. Planning consent is being sought for the recently-closed Ocean Pearl Indian restaurant. Its location, at the entrance to Cae Ddol Park, is key: the aim is to open a US-style diner there by summer 2025.

Mike said: “We are looking to redevelop it into an American diner experience for kids aged 10 and upward, where they can come for a burgers, chips, wings and milkshakes and listen to music or watch sports. It will be a safe and protected space as it will be waitress serviced, who will be looking out for them.”

Finding new uses for old buildings is part of Mike vision. Ruthin has plenty of them. The place literally seeps history. Once described as a “history lesson of the country in miniature’, Ruthin’s origins go back to ancient Celtic and Roman settlements. Its castle was built in the 13th century, destroyed during the English Civil War and rebuilt in the 19th century

In 1400 the town was burned to the ground by Welsh leader Owain Glyndŵr. Now its historic streetscapes include cruck-framed wattle and daub houses, Georgian townhouses and a Victorian Gothic town hall. Historic buildings range from Ruthin Gaol, medieval house Nantclwyd y Dre and St Peter’s Church, parts of which date back to 1282.

Crucially perhaps, Ruthin may soon become a gateway town for a new National Park planned for northeast Wales, making it a handy launchpad for visitors. Not just for the new national park (and Eryri) but also for local seaside towns. Mike added: “For our international friends, it’s just a quick hop to visit Ryan Reynolds at Wrexham Football Club.

“Ruthin has also always been a place with a great feel and atmosphere, and in the 80s and 90s it was one of the best places in Britain to celebrate New Year’s Eve. We used to get busloads coming in from Manchester and Liverpool to sing and dance the night away on the square. It was a town where people used to go out and enjoy themselves and have some good times with great friends.”

Mike won’t be undertaking Ruthin’s “rejuvenation” single-handedly. The town has been handed £11m of government Levelling Up money to improve the look and amenity of St Peter’s Square, restore St Peter’s Church and repair Ruthin’s landmark clock tower.

Ruthin Gaol is to get a new entrance and of Nantclwyd y Dre’s derelict west wing is to be restored. Improvements are also planned at Cae Ddol park, Loggerheads Country Park and nearby Moel Famau.

By adding private money into the mix, Mike hopes to create a virtuous cycle of investment. “We need to make Ruthin a vibrant town, with lots going on, and lots to offer, so others start to invest in the town’s shops and facilities, he said.

“This will then attract more people to come to Ruthin to spend their time and money here. Then it’s up to the town to keep the money local, so Ruthin prospers for many years to come. I’m just trying to do my little bit.” Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox

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