GLORY HISTORY

Past and present glories over more than a quarter of a century

When young Aussie pharmacist, Neil, bought Glory in 1979 it was in a sorry state. Opened in 1975 as Kintamani, it quickly became popular among the surfers who stayed at the many losmens in the Legian area for its good food and cheerful service. New owners in 1977 changed the name to Glory and soon ran it into the ground. Neil and young Balinese business partner, Nyoman (a newly-graduated school teacher), with their energy and innovation, quickly revived Glory's reputation, and the business boomed.

Glory is one of only a handful of the early Kuta/Legian restaurants still in operation. Up until the mid-80's the two-kilometre stretch from bemo corner to Glory was a narrow strip of bitumen between coconut groves, dark and lonely at night; fearful of leyaks (witches), Balinese would not pass that way. The road is still narrow but is now bordered by a concrete jungle of commerce. In those days before taxis, bemos (Datsun pick-ups with a canopy) were the main public transport, there was not a single traffic light in all of Bali, and not one glass-fronted or two-story shop in Kuta. “Progress” has changed all that.

In 1979 Glory could seat twenty-eight customers in simple bamboo lounge furniture in the still-standing central pavilion. There was no bar or refrigeration. The menu, key to any restaurant, was a dreary list of Chinese-Indonesian fare; that was immediately scrapped for a Western-style design with colourful artwork by Bali's leading cartoonist of the time. The Balinese food-fiend of mythology, Cupak (pronounced Choo–puck), was adopted as Glory's mascot, and graces the menu cover until today. Business boomed and the kitchen, a primitive galley to one side, could not cope, particularly as the cooks were facing west to where disruptive devils lurked in the sea. A new, spacious kitchen was built to the north, with the cooking range deliberately placed on the north wall facing holy Mount Agung – no more complaints from the cooks. The restaurant was enlarged, and then extended again to the present garden area with seating capacity following suit. The furniture was changed to upright tables and chairs for better dining. In the boom times of the 90's more than 200 customers could be seated; many a night even this was not enough. Glory's fame spread so that expatriates and tourist authorities as far away as Kupang begged Neil and Nyoman to open branches of Glory; not aspiring to business empires, and wary of control difficulties, they declined.

 

Other customer requests led to linking with Jimy (“a little b… never hurts”) to form “Glory Rides” tour service. Soon the white Suzuki Surrey and bright yellow Buggy were carrying loads of gleeful tourists (never mind the rain-soaking) to all corners of Bali. Sadly, spoilsport police armed with new revenue raising vehicle restrictions put an end to that. But the Glory-mobiles are still delighting kids of all ages with Glory's free pick-up service in the Kuta area.

Glory has always concentrated on value for money; “generous serves of the highest market-quality produce at reasonable prices” has been our boast since inception and is still the driving force. A “charming rustic setting and friendly service” completes the picture. But although “Simply…The Best” is our motto, Glory has always been a leader of innovation and can claim many firsts for middle-class restaurants in Bali such as a sink-heater for hot water for dish washing (don't laugh; an extension provided hot showers for grimy backpackers), free shuttle service, and outlandish cocktails including layered liqueur Pousse Cafes and tequila slammers (the old bamboo bar bore the dints for many years). Party nights with free-flow popular cocktails by the jug (another first) became a raucous must on the tourist itinerary; Rodney Rude's impromptu performance raised the roof. Culinary daring saw the introduction of a weekly buffet of Balinese Home Cooking in March 1985, long before anyone else. Glory pioneered better presentation of seafood, from displays on ice to fish fillets (emulating Sydney's famous Doyle's) to the magnificent Seafood Platter. Simplicity was not forgotten and Glory popularised the use of fresh, sweet shark for “Fish'n'Chips”; from being a throwaway item at the wet-market, shark soared in price as the demand outstripped supply. The same with scampi. The garden grill is another success story, and Glory's steaks and American-style pork spare ribs are equally popular. Glory has persisted in serving only Bali beef, and customer satisfaction is proof of this policy – lavish praise from a Texan surely the seal of approval. These acclaimed dishes are served in an ambience of relaxation; well before Carlo Petrini founded the “Slow Food” movement in Italy in 1986, a Glory notice board proclaimed our opposition to Fast Food “service” and urged our guests to sit back and take it easy.

Despite the accolades and the business success, the road has been a rocky one. Poor management by the authorities, which persists to this day, has caused continual problems for the tourist industry. Neil suffered a three-year period of exile for critical journalism in the mid-80's; but the youthful, inexperienced Nyoman consolidated the business which then surged ahead when Neil returned in 1988 – proof of a partnership which has remained rock-solid over twenty-six years. Bali was just recovering from the string of devastating upsets culminating in the Kuta bombing tragedy of 2002 when, unbelievably, bombers struck again in 2005. But a new generation of Balinese is surging to the fore to pick up the gauntlet of ensuring “BALI.…BANGKIT KEMBALI” (BALI….RISE AGAIN!). Nyoman's eldest son, Putu Ambara (the babe-in-arms in photo at right of Glory staff in 1981), has taken over management of Glory. At 24 years old, Putu, after extensive experience in overseas hotels and cruise lines, has both the maturity and youthful exuberance required to handle the exhausting demands of a restaurant. He is determined to maintain Glory's acclaimed reputation while introducing new ideas. Putu, together with Glory's loyal and enthusiastic staff, are concentrating on reviving the traditional delights of Bali for customers old and new. We hope to welcome you in the near future.