JD Wetherspoon, the pub giant, has announced plans to expand beyond 1,000 locations by franchising with hotel partners.
The company currently runs over 800 pubs, and last year, founder Sir Tim Martin suggested that 1,000 locations might be the brand's upper limit.
Wetherspoon has teamed up with property adviser Christie & Co to attract hoteliers across the UK seeking a “cost-effective conversion” of an existing, “underperforming” hotel restaurant into a Wetherspoon pub.
Wetherspoon stated that franchise partners will benefit from support from its design teams and gain access to the pub group’s supply chain, training, and marketing resources.
This move follows a recent report from Zonal and CGA by NIQ, which found that half of hotel guests prefer to order takeaway or dine elsewhere.
Wetherspoon has been strengthening its franchise business in recent years, launching its first franchised pub at Hull University’s student union in January 2022, followed by one at Newcastle University in September 2023 and another at Haven Primrose Valley Holiday Park in North Yorkshire in March 2024.
The company plans to open five more franchise pubs in the second half of the current financial year, with four set to operate in partnership with Haven Holiday Parks.
Simon Chaplin, senior director at Christie & Co, said: “We are delighted to be assisting such a powerful brand as Wetherspoon in using this route to expand. We have considerable hospitality expertise across the UK which, combined with our work in franchising, should help us secure a number of new Wetherspoon franchisees in the coming months, with several conversations already underway.”
