Meleri Jones, of the Emlyn Arms in Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire, recently completed a major refurb of the pub with help from the Local Investment Fund (LIF) South West Wales .
This project is part-funded through the European Regional Development Fund and offers flexible financial support to assist new and existing businesses by offering capital grants of 40% for eligible projects.
The Emlyn Arms was eligible because the work being done at the pub was geared towards boosting tourism in the area.
The pub reopened on 29 March with two en-suite bedrooms for bed and breakfast use. The restaurant was also refurbished as part of the £80,000 project.
Jones said: “Hopefully we will be full throughout the summer with the two new bedrooms, and it will be good to be able to use the restaurant more. This will give people the option to stay in the pub.”
LIF South West Wales co-ordinator Lois Poynting said: “We wouldn’t normally look at pubs because they are regarded as retail businesses but there was a very strong tourism element in the case of the Emlyn Arms.”
