Phantoms keep guests company

A MACKAY restaurant operating out of an old church has a history as rich as the fine food served up there.

A MACKAY restaurant operating out of an old church has a history as rich as the fine food served up there.

Blink and you could drive straight past the Church on Palmer, nestled in a quiet North Mackay street.

But step inside and the warm history of the 90-year-old former Uniting Church building will embrace you.

Stay a few hours and so may the ghost.

Owners Diane and Steve Grech took over the restaurant 11 years ago.

A short time later is when they started hearing things go bump in the night.

Mr Grech often hears the familiar sounds of friendly conversation, the type of noise you might expect in a busy restaurant.

But he hears these sounds when he is working, alone.

"I've been here at 12 or 1 o'clock in the morning by myself," he said.

"You are continually hearing doors open and close, you can hear people talking.

"I've never seen anything, but you can definitely hear it."

On occasion it is more than just the talking and doors banging, sometimes a lot more.

"We've seen a couple of funny things happen," Mr Grech said.

"Things get moved around every so often,"

"But as far as we're concerned if there are ghosts here they have been pretty good to us."

He tells the story of a diner who was "carrying on" after a few drinks.

"He tapped my wife on the arse," Mr Grech said.

"Politely, my wife said to leave her alone.

"Next thing he walked into the toilet and the door the slammed shut. It smacked him in the head and nearly knocked him out. There was no one else in there."

The diner left the restaurant with near-concussion.

Famous Ghosts

 Casper the friendly ghost, made famous on TV

 Al Capone has been seen and heard at Alcatraz

 The Tower of London is rumoured to be haunted

 The '3 Men and a Baby' ghost. YouTube it sometime

Originally published as Phantoms keep guests company