Star Pubs & Bars to revive pub closed after brutal attack

By Emily Hawkins

- Last updated on GMT

Pub's refocus: the Goat Shirley has been closed since an attack occurred nearby last year (Image: Ben Sutherland, Flickr)
Pub's refocus: the Goat Shirley has been closed since an attack occurred nearby last year (Image: Ben Sutherland, Flickr)

Related tags Croydon Star pubs & bars

A Croydon pub will target families and young professionals as it is set to be reopened following an assault on a refugee near the premises last year.

The Goat Shirley pub, in the Shirley area of Croydon, has been renamed by Star Pubs & Bars in a bid to change its image to a family, food-focused pub.

A Kurdish teenager was attacked by a mob of teenagers near the pub in March 2017.

The attack left 17-year-old Reker Ahmed with a fractured spine and a bleed on the brain.

Seven individuals were convicted following the violence.

The pub said it would be voluntarily closing "on a temporary basis" after the incident, in a Facebook post. It has not opened since.

Family-friendly ambitions

The pub will operate as the Apple Tree bar and eatery when it reopens, in addition to undergoing a large-scale refurbishment.

“Transformational refurbishment works are planned and once complete, the venue will be a relaxed family-friendly pub with good food and welcoming surroundings,” the pubco’s website outlines.

Star Pubs & Bars hopes the pub’s new target market will be families and young professionals “looking for a welcoming venue to enjoy a drink or bite to eat after work”.

A new commercial kitchen on the first floor will see an emphasis on food, catering to staff and visitors from the surrounding schools and hospitals.

Redecoration inside the pub will include a duck egg blue and grey colour scheme with rustic timber features and dark leathers.

Search for new operator

It is hoped the pub’s new chapter will see it capitalise on its unique position as the only pub within half a mile in the area.

This means a potential customer base of the 7,000 adults who live in the vicinity.

Star Pubs & Bars is still searching for an operator to help transform the pub, so it is uncertain when the new vision will be put into practice.

The pubco said: “We are ideally looking for an operator who can share our vision to transform this pub while bringing their own flair and ideas to make the most of this opportunity.

“We would therefore be looking for someone with experience within the trade.”

Related topics Property law Star Pubs & Bars

Related news

Show more

Spotlight

Follow us

Pub Trade Guides

View more

The MA Lock In Podcast

Join us for a Lock In