The company invested the sum in several pubs including a £145,000 refurbishment of the Electric Bar in Motherwell; £120,000 in the Kirkhill Bar in Cambuslang; £180,000 in the Dundas, Grangemouth; £268,000 at the Yeoman in Dunfermline and £260,000 at Habbies Bar & Grill in Kilbarchan.
The refurbishments have created a total of 30 new jobs and the company is currently recruiting for publicans and hoteliers to run the refurbished sites.
New opportunities
Operations director Brian Davidson said: “We recognise how important pubs are to the fabric of society and are committed to keeping our locals alive.
“This much-needed investment across the central belt has ensured that vital community assets will be preserved for the future.
“It has also created jobs and given the regional economy a much-needed boost.”
Davidson added: “All our pubs and bars are unique and we’ve worked closely with our publicans to make sure that refurbishments preserve their best features while providing additional facilities – from a new sports offering to home-cooked pub food and entertainment – for local communities.
“We want our pubs to be at the heart of the villages and towns they serve and hope that this investment will preserve them for future generations.”
‘Outstanding’ footfall
Last week, Punch claimed an ‘outstanding’ footfall rate after undertaking a series of roadshows across the UK.
The company has also recognised 18 of its publicans at the Midlands and North West 2016 Regional Publican of the Year event.
Each Punch development manager in the two regions nominated a licensee for a Special Recognition award, as well as an Overall Area winner.
Regional operations director, Paul Linton, commented: “These awards are our opportunity to show our appreciation for the hard work and dedication shown by our publicans, and it was a fantastic night for all of us."