Star Pubs is investing £4.6m in revamping the outside of its pubs and creating great outdoor spaces in 2024 with 156 pubs set to benefit from the external upgrade programme.
70 building makeovers will be carried out, costing on average £38,000 each. These will include new signs, lighting and planting plus additions such as feature entrances and cladding to enhance kerb appeal.
Star’s budget for outside spaces will upgrade gardens at 86 pubs and is concentrated on developing areas that will generate additional trade at least nine months of the year and during wet British summers.
In order to accommodate different pub layouts and planning regulations, Star is employing two design approaches at major projects: awning-covered areas opening directly off pubs via bi-fold doors and free-standing heated and lighted pergolas with pitched roofs that are completely separate to the building.
Says Chris Moore, Property Director for Star Pubs:
“A pub’s exterior is just as important as the interior. The outside is like product packaging; it must marry with what customers find inside and encourage potential passing customers to try it. People want a premium experience when they go out. Attractiveness is key – everything has to be on point. Done well a stunning garden will elevate the inside, too, providing good views. Pubgoers have lost none of their enthusiasm for sitting outside since the pandemic, and going to a lovely pub garden with friends is now firmly established as a favourite consumer occasion. Following trials at our managed operator pubs we’re investing in weatherproof structures, and this year’s chilly wet weather underlines the value of doing that.”
