Wetherspoons are set to open a new £3 million pound venue at the O2 arena, next to Mamma Mia! The Party.
The new pub, The Stargazer, will have a 3,800 square foot beer garden with views of the Thames and Canary Wharf, and will create 70 new jobs.
The O2 Arena, North Greenwich
Building work began this week and the venue is due to open in February 2023. Tim Martin, Wetherspoon Chairman, said: “We are delighted to be opening a pub at The O2. We believe it will become a popular venue, welcoming customers of all ages.”
The Stargazer will join the varied mix of more than 30 bars and restaurants inside the arena. The O2 also has the The Outlet shopping centre that opened in 2018 and which boasts over 60 brands; London’s largest Cineworld; and TOCA Social – an interactive football themed bar and eaterie.
The news came after JD Wetherspoons announced the closure of 32 of its existing pubs across England, including two in the local borough of Newham: The Hudson Bay in Forest Gate and The Miller’s Well in East Ham that have been put up for sale recently.
Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said: “We appreciate people have strong feelings about our pubs. Wetherspoon is always keen to open new sites and at the same time has to make decisions about existing pubs, which does, in some cases, mean selling or closing them.”
Questions have been raised as to where JD Wetherspoons have got this money from, considering they have been forced to close many branches across the UK because of the cost-of-living crisis. Some are saying the chain has made a “commercial decision” to sell Wetherspoon to help pay for this new £3 million pub. Wetherspoon are yet to make a comment on this.
After speaking to some University students about their opinions about the closure and openings of Wetherspoons.
One said, “It’s really annoying as we go to ‘spoons a lot, and now our local one will be possibly closing down”
Another said “I think it will be nice to have a ‘spoons in the O2. It means there would be a cheap and affordable place to go eat before a concert.”
