One of the UK’s leading pub chains is inviting customers to assist in its latest commercial property acquisition drive. JD Wetherspoon makes the appeal in the January edition of Wetherspoon News which is prominently displayed and freely available in all of its outlets. Alongside a round-up of the latest pub openings the magazine asks “Do you know of a property that would make a great Wetherspoon?” It then goes on to state that they will consider anything from existing pubs and bars to bingo halls and retail units as the chain seeks to expand further during 2012.
JD Wetherspoon opened its first pub in North London in 1979 and its success is based on a policy of low prices, long opening hours and promoting a range of cask ales. It is also known for its inexpensive quality food and –with the exception of its Lloyds No 1 outlets – an absence of music. The name JD Wetherspoon apparently originates from a school teacher who once told the founder and chairman, Tim Martin that he would never succeed in business.
Confounding this prediction, in April 2011 the Unicorn Hotel in Ripon became JD Wetherspoon’s 800th outlet, a landmark welcomed by Tim Martin as “a wonderful milestone.” Then in September it was announced that the chain had reached £1 billion in sales for the first time and that underlying operating profits had risen by 2.3%. During the latter part of the year, the company opened even more branches breathing life into commercial properties including former discount stores, cinemas and shopping centres.
JD Wetherspoon spends an average of £1.4 million on each of these conversions and has won several conservation and heritage awards for the emphasis it places on preserving buildings and recording their history. The names of the company’s pubs are a reflection of this sympathetic approach and generally carry local associations that are reflected in the interior design. In addition JD Wetherspoon will frequently commission local artists to contribute to its conversions.
The news that the company plans to open around 50 new outlets will be good news for the high street and will provide a boost for employment prospects as JD Wetherspoon is recognized for its excellent staff training scheme and its tendency to promote from within. The company stresses it will consider commercial properties even in towns where they have existing outlets. It is particularly interested in sites with external areas that can be used as beer gardens and smoking areas.
If you know of a commercial property for sale–like the many listed at Movehut– which you feel may be suitable for the purposes of JD Wetherspoon their acquisition team would like to hear from you. All the team needs to know is the location of the property and the details of the vendor and/or agent. This information can be submitted directly online or, if preferred, by email, telephone or post. All contact details can be found on the property page of the JD Wetherspoon website.
I have jsut ordered a Beef Lunch at the Stan Laral pub in BIshop Auckland, and when I was served the vegatables were roar, not even slightly cooked.
I complained to a lovely waitress who took the meal away full of appologies.
She eventually gave me another lunch and as she put it down on the table she said,” If this dinner is the same can you order some thing alse off the menu, because we have had a lots of people complaining” Guess what, the veg was roar again, they were unable to do anything about it!.
I ended up having Gammon which I did not really want. By this time my husband was finished his meal. Very bad service this explains why the pub was void of many people who were having lunch especially Sunday Lunch.