North West multiple operator, Blind Tiger Inns, opened its 20th pub this weekend, The Grey Man in Daisy Hill, Greater Manchester, following a joint £150,000 refurbishment with Star Pubs.
The leasehold is Blind Tiger Inn’s 19th with Star Pubs. The investment has seen the dated pub transformed into a premium local specialising in sports and entertainment. Inside the pub has been opened up, the bar enlarged, and a new stage installed.
The Blind Tiger Inns estate consists of community wet led locals and town / city centre sites within an hour and a half of the company’s head office in Chorley.
Says managing director, Chris Tulloch: “We typically look for pubs that require investment to bring them back to life. The Grey Man is in a superb location, with plentiful chimney pots in the immediate vicinity. It is in a great community, and we could see it had huge potential.
“We have funding and, having just expanded our head office team, are well positioned to add a further six pubs to our existing estate. We have typically grown by two pubs a year since we began in 2017. However, we’re not driven by reaching a target number of pubs. Our focus is on maintaining our core business, finding the right venues and a running a fun, sustainable business.
“We have enjoyed a strong few years since the pandemic. The market is clearly tough, not least with the utilities and labour costs seeming to be a constantly increasing factor. However, overall the market is robust if you invest in your pubs and your people and strive to create great experiences for your customers.
“The past few years have seen many traditional pub companies fall in love with the model we have successfully operated for years, opting for percentage based / operator agreements. As a result, the leased and tenanted options are reduced. However, this pushes us to explore different opportunities which is a lot of fun!
“As for the future, I would like to see Business Rate reform initiated by the new Labour Government sooner than later. As this won’t be a quick fix, we will need an interim plan to level the playing field between bricks and mortar businesses and online retail.”
