Star Pubs Invests £4.5m In Outdoor Upgrades

Star Pubs is investing £4.5m in enhancing the exteriors of 171 pubs in 2025. 88 pubs will benefit from improved gardens – with a quarter of these being themed to Heineken brands – and 83 pub buildings will be revamped on the outside to boost their kerb appeal.

The garden makeovers will focus on increasing covers to boost sales and delivering a quality experience for pubgoers who are being more selective about where they spend their money due to ongoing pressures on consumer spending. Following trials at Star’s Just Add Talent sites, where possible, new seating will be in south and west facing positions to maximise afternoon and early evening trade and close to pub entrances to enable customers to easily access indoor facilities and staff to service the area. The transformations will be tailored in each pub with changes ranging from new patios, covered pergolas and booth seating to decorative touches such as floral displays, festoon lighting and soft furnishings that elevate the whole space.

With licensees that already have Heineken branded gardens reporting increased sales and customer dwell time, 22 gardens will be branded to either Foster’s, Cruzcampo, Birra Moretti or Inch’s giving them an extra point of difference.

Costing £17,000 on average, the schemes will harness the power of Heineken’s brands and turn the gardens into destinations. They will incorporate branded features such as murals, pods, bean bags and entrance archways. Complementing Foster’s darts sponsorship, Foster’s branded venues will also have darts kits that can be positioned outside.

Changes to the outside of pubs will be designed to maximise each building’s prominence to passersby and give an excellent first impression that reflects the offer inside. As well as repainting pubs, the projects will install new lighting, signage and planting, upgrade doorways and entrances and use cladding to inject character.

Says Star Pubs’ Property Director Chris Moore:
“Pre-pandemic, a great outdoor space was a nice-to-have, now it’s the norm and customers expect it. With pubs looking to offset the increased cost of doing business with higher sales, every inch of trading space should be developed. Even small unassuming spaces can be converted into attractive outdoor areas, whilst standard gardens can be transformed with designs that send sales soaring in good weather.”