Applications to run Charles Wells pubs have risen by 66% since last October, says the Bedfordshire-based tenanted operator.
A total of 42 licensees were appointed during the last financial year, compared to 45 in the previous period.
Charles Wells found there was still a predominance of local applicants for pubs, with six licensees from Bedfordshire moving to nearby pubs and five in Hertfordshire also staying close.
"The significance of staying local is that licensees know the area and can stay at the heart of their communities," said recruitment marketing manager Kate Hempsall.
"It's harder to get under the skin of pubs on the other side of the country."
Licensees are joining from a range of backgrounds, with 38% involved in existing licensing trades, including holding companies and multi-site operators, and 31 % already running pubs.
Hempsall said: "People are sick of the rat-race of their other jobs. They want to be their own boss, and recognise the support we give."
Others made interesting moves from the restaurant (7%), banking (5%) and travel (3%) industries.Hempsall puts this down to lifestyle and family commitments.
"People from other industries still have a lot of business experience, so in the main it is a lifestyle decision," she said. "Many want to run businesses with families and partners, and licensees say that they get to spend more time with their families as a result of working in pubs."
Meanwhile, the most popular methods of first contact were via internet and phone. The number of visitors to the Charles Wells website has risen by almost 8% in a year, with page views up 8.5% and the average time spent on the site up by 6.5%.
"We have seen that people are searching specifically for the company," said Hempsall.