Locals weigh in as J D Wetherspoon set to return to West Bromwich after three years
Customers have had their say on the pub plans.
Locals have had their say after pub giant J D Wetherspoon announced it would be returning to West Bromwich - three years after closing its last branch in the town.
The chain has bought the former Queen Inn Cookhouse & Pub in Congregation Way, one of 66 pubs and restaurants closed by Whitbread last month as part of a restructuring plan.
The company is set to invest £1 million in the new venue, with a launch date set for January 18 and the name yet to be decided.
The company has applied for a licence to serve drinks until 12.30am Sunday to Wednesday, and until 1am Thursday to Saturday.
Many people have welcomed the plans with open arms on social media, with a lot of people calling it a ‘great idea’.
One said: “Glad they are thinking about returning, miss Wetherspoons, great pub.”
Another said: “Sounds good to me. I like their breakfasts!”
A third wrote: “I really miss The Cookhouse, was a lovely little local pub and nice place for breakfast and staff were great, such a shame it had to close, nowhere else round here like it now.”
Someone else said: “I enjoyed my meals at the Cookhouse, staff were great and unlimited breakfast was a great deal, shame they closed it.”
Another commented: “Great to have a Wetherspoons coming back to West Bromwich!!!!.”
However, there were some who were not sure about the idea.
One person wrote: “Not really to be fair, it was good as the Cookhouse really. I don't really like Wetherspoons much.”
J D Wetherspoon’s last pub in the town was The Billiard Hall in High Street, which operated from 1997 to 2023. It is now an independently run sports bar.
Hospitality giant Whitbread announced it would be closing all of its Beefeater, Bar & Block, Table Table and Cookhouse & Pub food-and-drink venues to focus on its Premier Inn hotel chain.
The former Longford House Beefeater in Cannock and and the Brewers Fayre in Stourbridge were saved after being bought by the Queensway Inns chain. The former Bentley Green Beefeater in Willenhall is now up for sale, priced £575,000.
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