WORK has begun on the £500,000 refurbishment of the historic Bannister’s pub in Finnieston, underlining the continuing renaissance of the area in the west end of Glasgow.
The investment is being made by Glasgow operator One Leisure Group, owner of city outlets Maggie Mays, Slouch, Howlin Wolf and the Partick Tavern, in partnership with landlord Star Pubs & Bars, the pub leasing arm of brewing giant Heineken.
The bar will be relaunched under the new name of Strip Joint when it opens its doors in November, a tongue in cheek reference to its location on the so-called “Finnieston Strip”.
It will be the latest addition to a thriving mix of pubs, bars and restaurants which have turned the once down at heel Finnieston into one of the most fashionable places to eat and drink in the UK.
Finnieston’s regeneration, focused on the west end of Argyle Street, has been given momentum by The SECC Hydro, a 12,000-capacity live music venue, since it opened in 2013.
There has also been a flurry of residential and commercial property development in the area, with The Herald revealing on Saturday that upmarket furniture retailer sofa.com is poised to open its biggest ever showroom in Finnieston in the middle of next month.
The £500,000 refurbishment of Bannisters is part of a £2 million investment Star Pubs & Bars is making in its Scottish estate this year. One Leisure Group, which owns the freeholds for the other outlets in its portfolio, has pledged to turn what is currently a tired traditional pub into a stylish bar with a strong food offer.
The project, which is expected to take three months to complete, will see the interior reconfigured, with large windows and an open-plan kitchen installed.
One Leisure Group director Mark Lappin said: “Finnieston is the place to be in the west side of Glasgow and I’ve been on the look-out for a bar for some time but they’re hard to come by.
“With our love of music, we’re excited to be next to the second busiest music venue in the world and we’ll be aiming to combine good music and a lot of fun with outstanding drinks, food and service to give our customers a great time.”
Lawson Mountstevens, managing director of Star Pubs & Bars, said: “The pub is in one of the best positions in Glasgow and has real untapped potential. It’s great that such an experienced operator as One Leisure Group has taken the lease and is investing with us.”
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