Wetherspoons heads to the bar for £200m splurge on 10,000 new jobs
Pub group JD Wetherspoons is set to spend £200m on its pub estate over the next four years creating up to 10,000 new jobs, it said today.
The pub chain said it would invest the money developing new pubs and hotels as well as enlarging its existing pubs across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
The company said the majority of its investment would be focused on small and medium sized towns, but will also include larger towns and cities.
Read more: Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin launches attack on City regulators
These are set to include new pubs in Bourne, Waterford, Hamilton, Ely, Diss, Felixstowe, Newport Pagnell and Prestatyn.
Wetherspoons said it will also be investing in major cities including London, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Birmingham, Leeds and Galway.
Wetherspoon founder and chairman Tim Martin said: “We are looking forward to opening many more new pubs as well as investing in existing pubs over the next four years.
Read more: Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin slams ‘elite Remainers’ as profit sinks
“We are especially pleased that a large proportion of the investment will be in smaller towns and cities which have seen a decline in investment in recent years.
“The fact that we will be creating approximately 10,000 jobs is great news too.”
Wetherspoons operates 875 pubs and 58 hotels across the UK and Republic of Ireland and employs 44,000 staff.