Walkabout refurb costs may hit £9m

The programme, to take place over the next two to three years, has begun with the £800k revamp of Walk-about in Temple, London — the template site.

The site incorporates a full re-design of the main bar and creation of an adjacent Temple Beach Club, which is also set to be added to other selected Walkabouts.

The main Walkabout has a ‘wave design’ main bar, new dance floor, DJ booth and private hire areas plus a larger stage for live music.

There is also a pop-up restaurant and private boxes with bookable front-row seats for sports screenings.

The Temple Beach Club has a separate music playlist and pre-bookable rooms.
Intertain chief executive John Leslie said the refurb “marks the beginning of a larger vision for the Walkabout group and is a very exciting time for the brand”.

Leslie said landlords are helping with “more favourable terms and rent-free periods”, which “help us to determine our priorities for investment”.

Last year Intertain agreed a debt-for-equity swap worth £29.9m with its banking group, which was reduced to three: Barclays, Lloyds and the Royal Bank of Scotland. It followed news that the operator reported a loss of £28.7m in its first 67 weeks of trading, following its emergence from Regent Inns in October 2009.