Pub chain JD Wetherspoon is to open 18 new outlets this year as the UK rebounds from lockdown.
The company today announced a £145million investment to open new pubs and upgrade existing ones, creating 2,000 new jobs in the process.
The ambitious plans will start within weeks of its pubs reopening fully as the lockdown eases.
A total of 18 new pubs will open and "significant extensions and upgrades" will be made to scores of current pubs.
It has a pipeline of 75 projects - 18 of which are new pubs and 57 significant extensions and upgrades to its existing 871 pubs.
The first tranche of new pubs and extensions will be located in towns and cities including Leeds, Birmingham, Newport Pagnell, Heswall, Sheffield, Felixstowe, Dublin, Haverfordwest, Carmarthen and Glasgow, a spokesman said.
Once the 75 projects in the pipeline are completed , Wetherspoon anticipates investing £750million to open 15 new pubs and enlarging 50 existing pubs each year for ten years.
This ten-year pub project will result in 20,000 new jobs.
Wetherspoon founder and chairman Tim Martin said: “Our immediate investment will provide work for architects, contractors and builders as well as result in 2,000 new jobs for staff in our pubs.
“We are geared up to start on the first projects within a few months.
“ We are also committed to our long-term investment and job creation programme over the next decade.
“However, the investment is conditional on the UK opening back up again on a long-term basis, with no further lockdowns or the constant changing of rules.”
What areas are first on the list?
The company said it will begin work in the following areas in the weeks after lockdown eases. The project will be combination of upgrades and new outlets.
- Leeds
- Birmingham
- Newport Pagnell
- Heswall
- Sheffield
- Felixstowe
- Dublin
- Haverfordwest
- Carmarthen and Glasgow
