The group, which operates 19 sites in France across nine cities, has renovated the Houses of Parliament to the tune of £155,000 and the Market Tavern, at a cost of £244,000, both in Bordeaux.
As well as the new darts lanes, upgraded audio and visual equipment has been installed, making the pub the city’s go-to venue for live sports action.
Additional works at the Houses of Parliament include the introduction of a new bar backfitting, new furniture throughout the site, external decoration and re-signage.
Nearby, the Market Tavern has been transformed to increase capacity. The former cellar has been demolished to open up trading space and create more comfy customer seating.
Evolving needs
A redesign of the site layout has also been completed, creating a new stand-alone kitchenette and glass wash zone. A new bar counter and backfitting, new furniture and a redecoration throughout the site completed the refurbishment.
Ariane Lapegue, director of operations for Wells & Co France, said: “Our investment in both the Houses of Parliament and the Market Tavern in Bordeaux ensures we can continue to meet the evolving needs of our customers.
“The introduction of the interactive darts at the Houses of Parliament follows the successful implementation across our UK estate and will be a valuable indicator in determining future rollouts across the rest of our French sites.
“With an ever-changing market, it is essential we are creating spaces that reflect our unique proposition of a traditional English pub in France and these refurbishments are critical in enabling us to continually deliver experiences that appeal to both new and existing customers.”
The refurbishments in its French estate follows the acquisition of two new sites in 2023, which included the purchase of the Houses of Parliament, along with the Queen Elizabeth in Strasbourg in July 2024.
Capex planned for UK
As well as investment in France, the firm has an extensive capital expenditure programme planned for 2025 to continue to appeal to UK customers, with several upgrades scheduled throughout the year.
The group diverted funding towards its French operations after it saw the October Budget in the UK as likely to have a “prolonged negative impact on consumer confidence”.
Wells & CO CEO Peter Wells added: “Across the whole of our French estate, we are continuing to see growing demand from our customers for a traditional English pub experience.
“The recent extensive refurbishments in two of our sites in Bordeaux will allow us to both enhance the experiences that we offer, as well as drive more customers into our pubs – with customers beginning to have a clear expectation as to what they can expect in each of our venues in the city.
“While we will continue to invest into the development of our French estate, we are working closely with our partners in the UK to ensure we can continue to deliver the best possible support in what is an extremely difficult time for operators across the whole of the hospitality sector.”
