SPOONS have taken a boozer off the market in a huge update as the fate of seven others hangs in the balance.
Several watering holes are up for sale, leaving them at risk of closing their doors for good.
But Wetherspoons has taken The Thomas Drummond in Fleetwood off the market in a win for local beer drinkers.
It was initially put up for sale in February.
Now with taps destined to be running for the foreseeable future, the pub’s manager Claire Buxton said the news would delight staff and customers alike.
She said: “Staff are delighted that the pub is to remain open and I am confident our customers will welcome the news too.
“We look forward to serving the Fleetwood community for many more years to come.”
But as Fleetwood pub-goers rejoice, the future of a host of other Spoons boozers is less clear.
A pair of pubs remain up for sale.
They are The Ivor Davies in Cardiff and the Bank House in Cheltenham.
Meanwhile, five more are under offer.
“Under offer” is real estate jargon that means the seller is currently considering whether to accept an offer from a buyer.
It can also mean an offer has been accepted but a contract hasn’t been written up, meaning it isn’t yet legally binding.
The pubs under offer are The Sir Daniel Arms, in Swindon, The Hain Line in St Ives, Foot of the Walk in Leith, London and Rye in London
and The Quay in Poole.
These boozers all remain open for now.
Wetherspoons regularly reviews the branches it has up for sale and has often taken venues off the market to continue operating as part of the pub chain.
The two pubs up for sale are:
The five Wetherspoons branches that are currently under offer are as follows:
Many food and drink chains have been struggling in recent months as the cost of living has led to fewer people eating out.
Businesses had been struggling to bounce back after the pandemic, only to be hit with soaring energy bills and inflation.
Multiple chains have been affected, resulting in big-name brands like Wetherspoons and Frankie & Benny’s closing branches.
Some chains have not survived. Byron Burger fell into administration last year, with owners saying it would result in the loss of over 200 jobs.
Pizza giant Papa Johns is shutting down 43 of its stores soon.
Tasty, the owner of Wildwood, said it will shut sites as part of major restructuring plans.
The brand plans to close 20 loss-making restaurants after a “challenging” start to the year.
Stonegate has also raised fears about its survival as it races to plug its debts.
As many as 55 Wetherspoon pubs have already closed their doors. Here’s the full list:
