An Irish waitress at the Hard Rock Café in London has been awarded an MBE for her services to tourism.
Rita Gilligan from Galway has been working as a waitress at the London Hard Rock Café since it first opened in 1971. In that time she has served international celebrities from around the world but insists that all of her customers are treated like stars.
If I served you in the morning, my darling, I'd make you feel like a star.
Rita Gilligan has almost become a tourist attraction in her own right. In recognition of her service to British tourism, the Secretary of State for Culture Chris Smith has awarded her an honorary MBE. Over her time, Rita Gilligan has served the Queen's grandchildren, Rock Hudson, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Take That, Madonna, and many more.
Chris Smith explains the rules behind receiving an MBE. If the MBE is being given to a citizen from a country outside the UK, then it is presented by the government on behalf of the Queen rather than directly by the Queen or a member of the royal family.
Rita Gilligan says that her training at the Great Southern Hotel in Galway has stood to her role at the Hard Rock Café. It was at the Great Southern in Galway that she had the honour of serving Brendan Behan.
Nowadays, Rita Gilligan spends much of her time opening and promoting new Hard Rock Cafés around the globe. There are plans to open a Hard Rock Café in Dublin.
An RTÉ News reports on 28 April 1998. The reporter is Brian O'Connell.
