Owner 'had vision' to turn 'empty shell' into Staffordshire town's newest sports lounge

AJ’s Sports Lounge opened to the public on Saturday on Brewery Street in Rugeley, bringing a capacity crowd to enjoy the new pool tables, dart boards and big screens, as well as a range of drinks behind the bar.

Owner Andy said the new bar was a vision he had had about providing a sporting area, but also a pub feeling, and was a long-held ambition.

He said: “This place is an entirely new venture of mine and is just what I’ve always dreamed of doing, having played pool at a very early age, and after I’d finished in a previous career, I just decided the time was right to run a bar.

“The plan was always going to be a pool bar with the availability of darts, but also have a separate lounge where we could operate it as a pub, so if you didn’t want to play pool or darts, then you’ve got the other side.

“We’re all about the social side, as well as the sports, and so that’s why I picked this particular place for people to come to.”

Andy said his origins were in Hednesford and said the idea for the bar in Rugeley came after speaking to friends who played pool in Cannock and realising that Rugeley was being overlooked for this type of venue.

He said it had been a long-term project, having purchased the building in March 2025, and talked through how it had built up and what it had cost to do.

He said: “We’ve done a lot of construction on this building, adding to it, as it was a bit of an empty shell and we’ve probably spent a few hundred thousand pounds on it.

“I first saw it in March last year, taking a look around and, straightaway, having a vision for what it would look like, so it was kind of meant to be.”

Andy said that the first day had been a success, even to the point of running out of a lot of drinks and having to restock, and said he hoped people would continue to come and help bring more life to Rugeley town centre.

He said: “We have things like the big screens, so people can watch the Premier League, Champions League, Sky and TNT, but we also have 12 pool tables with a lot of room around them.

“That means we can have a big crowd around each table and fiends can enjoy an afternoon of whatever sport they want on, while playing pool and having a drink.

“Brewery Street has some nice shops and good people, but it seems like the quieter end of town and I’m hoping that by having this, we’re going to bring more people onto the street for the other business as well.

“I’m definitely living the dream and very excited to see where this goes.”