WETHERSPOONS fans can rejoice as the popular chain is set to open 13 new UK locations this year.
The pub giant currently has 796 outlets – but that number will exceed 800 by the end of the year.
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Wetherspoons to open a number of new pubs this yearCredit: Alamy
The company has already opened two new pubs this year – in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, and at London’s Waterloo station.
And it plans to open seven more across the UK before the summer.
These will be in cities including Bath, London and Manchester.
It will also open four more pubs at Haven Holiday Parks, taking the number of franchises to seven.
Wetherspoons announced it would be opening its first pub in the Haven Tourist Park in January last year.
Five Stones at Primrose Valley, Yorkshire’s largest park in Haven, opened in March.
The contract extension will see Wetherspoons open pubs in Lincolnshire, Devon, Kent and Northumberland.
These pubs should be open by spring 2025.
Here’s the full list of Wetherspoons pubs opening this year:
- Manchester Airport – Terminal Two
- Fulham – Fulham Broadway station
- Bath – George Street
- Beaconsfield – Station Road
- Wetherby – High Street
- Tooley Street – London Bridge
- Fareham – Whiteley Shopping Centre
- Cleethorpes Beach – Lincolnshire
- Devon Cliffs – Devon
- Kent Coast – Kent
- Haggerston Castle – Northumberland
- Marlow, Buckinghamshire (already open)
- London Waterloo Station (already open)
Why are so many pubs and bars closing?
The figures were released in today’s trading report.
It also revealed the chain sold six pubs in the year, leading to a cash inflow of £4.1m.
Meanwhile, the chain is considering opening Wetherspoons pubs overseas following a string of successful partnerships in the UK.
Tim Martin told The Sun: “We are looking at it. We think there are probably 100 to 200 franchise partnerships in the UK. Now it’s a matter of going abroad, and there is a possibility.”
What else is going on at Wetherspoons?
In the report, the company revealed that profits increased year-on-year.
In the 25 weeks to 19 January 2025, comparable sales were 5.1% higher than in the same period last year.
How can I save money at Wetherspoons?
PUB-GOERS love Wetherspoons for its competitive prices and cheap meals – but did you know there are more ways to save money?
Senior consumer reporter Olivia Marshall explains how.
Free refills – Buy tea, coffee or hot chocolate from £1.50 and you can get a free refill. The offer is available all day, every day.
Check the map – Prices may vary from one location to another, even those close to each other.
So if you’re planning to have a pint at Spoons, it’s worth popping into the nearby pubs and checking to see if you can get a seat at the cheapest one.
Choose your day – each evening the pub chain hosts specific themed food nights.
For example, every Thursday night there is a curry club, where visitors can get a main meal and a drink at a certain price cheaper than usual.
Download Coupons – Students can often download books with vouchers at
their local universities nearby, which offer discounts on food and drink, so keep your eyes open.
Be prepared – the Wetherspoons app allows you to order and pay for drinks and food from your table – but you don’t have to be in the pub to use it.
Taking full advantage of this, cheeky customers took to social media to ask their friends and family to order drinks for them. The application can be downloaded for free from the App Store or Google Play.
Check the date – Spoons holds Tax Equality Day every year to highlight the benefits of permanently reduced tax for the pub industry.
It is usually held in September, and last year it fell on Thursday, September 14.
As well as its 12-day Real Ale Festival every autumn, Wetherspoons also holds a Spring Festival.
Bar sales increased by 4.5%, while food sales increased by 5.6%.
But it wasn’t good news for the company as hotel room sales fell by 6.5% in the same period.
Like-for-like sales in the last 12 weeks in the 25-week period were 4.6% higher than in the same period last year.
Total sales are up 4% year-to-date.
This is slightly less than the simultaneous sale due to the six pubs that were sold in the last year.
The company’s debt is also expected to increase in the 2025 financial year to between £680m and £700m.
In the financial year 2024 it was £660 million.
Meanwhile, Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin warned that extra costs heaped on businesses in the budget could be passed on to paying customers.
The pub chairman said the chain would aim to remain cost-competitive for customers, but all catering businesses face the same pressures.
Mr Martin said: “Cost inflation, which rose to high levels in 2022, has gradually eased over the next two years.
“However, now after the budget, it has increased significantly again.
“All hospitality businesses, we believe, are planning to increase prices as a result.”
He also warned of price rises but said the chain would “try to stay as competitive as possible”.
Meanwhile, customers of Young’s pub face paying 20p more for a pint after the Government’s Autumn Budget.
Simon Dodd, chief executive of Young’s, said the chain plans to raise its prices by between 2.5% and 3% due to increased costs.
Employers’ National Insurance contributions will be increased from April this year, meaning bosses will have to pay more tax on workers’ wages.
Several retailers and restaurant chains are now warning that they will have to pass these additional costs on to shoppers and customers.
Mr Dodd said the upcoming rise would add around 20p to the price of a pint, which sells for £6.30 in London, to £6.50.
Meanwhile, All Bar One owner Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) said last year that the price of its pint could rise by between 10p and 15p.
Some restaurants and pubs were also forced to close their doors for the last time.
Higher food and energy bills mean fewer people spend on eating out.
Meanwhile, businesses struggled to recover from the pandemic, only to be hit by huge bills, inflation and budget changes.
Multiple chains were affected, resulting in the closure of branches of major brands such as Papa John’s and Frankie & Benny’s.
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Source: HIS Education