Wetherspoon has announced the opening dates for five new pubs, one of which will be located in a UK airport. The pub named Sir Frank Whittle, after a British RAC officer who co-created the turbojet engine, will open at Heathrow Terminal 2 on July 14. This will be the third Wetherspoon pub at Heathrow, joining existing locations at Terminals 4 and 5. Additionally, a new pub will be opened at Birmingham University on May 26, situated on Edgbaston Park Road.
Furthermore, Wetherspoon will introduce Joe’s as part of a new partnership, with the Guild of Students continuing to run and manage the site. Another new pub, The Sir Ronald Wates, will open at Wates House, Surrey University in Guildford, on July 7. This pub will be owned by the university but operated under a franchise agreement with Wetherspoon.
Looking ahead, two new Wetherspoon pubs are set to open at Barcelona airport. The first one, located at Terminal 1, is expected to open by September 2026, followed by another at Terminal 2 by January 2027. These openings are part of Wetherspoon’s broader plan to launch 15 new managed pubs by the end of the current financial year, adding to its current portfolio of nearly 800 sites.
However, the company recently warned of potential profit impacts due to increased labor costs, taxes, and energy bills, which could contribute to inflation in the UK economy. Tim Martin, chairman of Wetherspoon, highlighted the significant additional costs the business is facing, including higher national insurance, wages, energy costs, and packaging tax. Despite these challenges, Wetherspoon aims to minimize price increases while navigating the evolving economic landscape.
The company reported a decline in profits for the past half-year, attributed to elevated wage costs, repair expenses, and business rates. Despite this, revenues grew, driven by a rise in bar sales and positive performance in like-for-like sales. Wetherspoon also shared that recent sales growth remained steady, with new venue openings offset by closures or sales of other establishments.
