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Heineken’s £39m Pub Revamp Plan Will Create 1,000 New Jobs

By Nithya Bose in Business News, posted May 7, 2024

Heineken has promised to create over 1,000 new jobs as it announces plans to reopen 62 previously closed pubs.

The company will invest £39 million in refurbishing over 600 locations across its Star Pubs chain in the UK.

The UK pub industry faces continued challenges due to closures during the Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing economic pressures.

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has reported that pubs closed at an alarming rate of 500 per year between 2021 and 2023.

Star Pubs aims to renovate about a quarter of its 2,400 locations.

It focuses on transforming establishments in suburban areas to cater to customers' evolving habits of working from home more frequently and reducing commuting.

Heineken plans to turn aging pubs into premium local spots, enhancing their appeal to save customers on travel costs and provide a better neighborhood experience.

By the end of this year, Heineken expects to have reopened 156 pubs since early 2023, returning the number of closed pubs in its portfolio to pre-pandemic levels.

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The refurbishment plans include introducing "subtle zoning" in pubs to accommodate various customer activities, such as sports viewing and dining, without mutual disturbance.

This will be achieved through the strategic placement of dividing screens and variations in lighting, sound systems, and furniture styles.

This resurgence in the pub industry is further evidenced by Greene King, another major UK pub chain, which recently disclosed plans to inaugurate a new £40m brewery by 2027.

Greene King, a venerable brewery with 225 years of history and now owned by Hong Kong's CKA, operates around 2,700 pubs, restaurants, and hotels in the UK.

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