Update on popular Bispham Beefeater pub as new message goes up on door

A new message on the door of a popular pub-restaurant which is facing the axe has still left punters with questions.

The Red Lion at Bispham is one of 197 pub-restaurants which will be closing, it was announced last week, as its parent company Whitbread blamed tax rises and increasing cost for the loss of around 3,800 jobs as part of a new five-year strategy to make £250 million in cost savings.

Following these revelations, the venue closed its doors this week, appearing to signal that the Red Lion would be set for permanent closure.

Whitbread, which owns restaurant chains including Beefeater, Bar + Block, and Brewers Fayre, plans to replace the 197 pub-eateries with an integrated food and drink model which it said was more efficient and preferred by hotel guests.

However, a note on the door this week has created some confusion.

It stated: “We’re sorry but this restaurant is temporarily closed for essential maintenance.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be back soon.”

Some punters on social media were not sure whether this meant that the Red Lion would reopen soon in its current form or would open as an “integrated food and drink model.” 

Whitbread was approached for a comment this week but there is still no definite news on the future of the Devonshire Road eatery.

The new five-year plan includes the increased cost-saving target and steps to cut capital spending by more than £1 billion, which will see it sell off £1.5 billion worth of its freehold properties – meaning the hotels it owns outright – to “fund future growth and increasingly look to grow on a leasehold basis”.

Whitbread’s profits have dipped by more than 19 per cent to £298m, sparking the five year survival plan. The firm aims to sell off 110 sites and convert others into 600 new hotel rooms in a bid to save a quarter of a billion pounds.

Whitbread said the plans to reduce its 30,000-strong workforce were subject to employee consultation, and that it expects to retain a significant proportion of those affected through redeployment.

Chief executive Dominic Paul said: “This has been a rigorous process and we’ve approached all options with an open mind. Our new five-year plan builds on our strengths and drives a significant acceleration of our strategy. This plan will transform Whitbread into a higher-margin, higher-returning pure-play hotel business.

“We’re going to go further and faster to deliver a great experience for our guests and high-quality growth and returns for our shareholders.”