The first of these requiring refurbishment was the Coach & Horses in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, which is set to reopen this week after a £200,000 makeover.
This will be followed by the Westgate in Halifax, West Yorkshire, which will reopen early next month (March) after a £350,000 refurbishment.
In a bid to help recruit and build a pipeline of operators to run new pubs, Star is running virtual Discovery Days to help enable potential applicants to easily find out more about what is involved in running a managed operator pub without having to travel.
Challenging times
The days aim to be informative and informal and will include first-hand accounts from existing JAT operators alongside Q&A sessions.
There will also be free three-day pre-entry online training available for every screened applicant, which aims to cover much of the essential knowledge needed to run a pub.
Star Pubs operations director Mick Howard said: “In these challenging times, the managed operator model is a very attractive model for people wanting to run a pub with a tried and tested offer and extensive support behind them.
“Having well-invested pubs that maximise trade and profits is an important part of the JAT package.”
High standards
He added: “The innovative recruitment and training solutions we’ve developed ensure new recruits are confident they’re on the right path and have the skills they need to succeed from day one.
“An understanding of high standards and a focus on delivering them have helped drive up mystery visitor scores to more than 90% at JAT pubs in the past 12 months.
“They are also supporting new operators in creating an exceptional experience for their customers once they’re in post.”
In October last year, Star announced it had opened its 200th JAT venue, following a £350,000 investment.
The Hesketh in Cheadle Hulme, near Stockport in Greater Manchester was previously closed for 18 months.
