Selected existing pubs within the group’s estate will be fully refurbished into the new concept with the Skymaster in Warrington, Cheshire being the first to be rebranded and set to open at the end of July.
Each new-look site will have family-focused spaces include Woodie’s Den - a woodland-themed area with games, craft activities and special events such as discos, karaoke and quizzes.
Furthermore, the venues will also feature Woodie’s Sweet Factory - a self-serve confectionary bar for children to top their desserts using a token system. This will be alongside a full food offering.
Each Woodie’s pub will also benefit from the recently introduced Marston’s Order & Pay app.
Concept details
Prior to introducing the concept, the pub group reviewed research on why parents left restaurants early, which found they critiqued slow service, expensive children’s menus, a lack of healthy eating and entertainment for children as well as unaccommodating staff.
Once renovations are complete, each Woodie’s venue will be celebrated with an all-day family festival, including bouncy castles, face painting, storytelling sessions, live music and an official ribbon cutting by a local community hero.
Moreover, local families with babies born in the past 12 months will also be invited as VIPs at the family festivals, with each baby receiving a Woodie’s onesie.
Local guests will also be offered a ‘Pint for your Past’ - a free pint in exchange for local stories on the pub and beyond, which will feature on each pub’s memory wall over the opening weekend.
Insight informed
Marston’s chief development officer Ed Hancock said: “We’re really proud to introduce Woodie’s - our new local family pub format, which understands families’ needs better than anyone else.
“Built around real insights and feedback from parents and local guests alike, Woodie’s is all about making pub visits easy and enjoyable for everyone - where kids can be kids and adults can genuinely unwind.
“We’re sure Woodie’s will delight the whole family and be the backdrop of many get-togethers, celebrations and special moments in our local communities over this summer and beyond.”
In April, Marston’s unveiled its local sports concept - Grandstand, opening its first site under the brand - the Gospel Oak in Tipton, West Midlands over the Easter bank holiday weekend.
The group announced it was set to launch five new pub formats in October last year, as part of its aim to be a “pure play hospitality business”.
The formats were:
- Locals pubs – aimed at regulars and locals, aged between 35 and 64 with a proposition of ‘share good times at your local’ and an indicative share of estate of 23%. Key aspects include a warm and welcoming atmosphere, community engagement, an always on activity calendar and friendly licensee.
- Locals sport pubs – again aimed at regulars and locals alongside entertainment-focused adults with a proposition of ‘big event shared at your local’ and a 20% indicative share of estate. This offer features great viewing areas, market-leading technology, sports activities and a passionate licensee.
- Adult dining pubs – target audience of affluent adults aged 35 to 64, ‘good food, good times’ proposition and 22% share. It includes classic charm, first-class food quality, a range of leading drinks brands alongside relaxed, friendly service.
- Family pubs – families with primary school-aged children is the target audience here alongside a proposition of ‘share good times with all the family’ and an indicative share of estate of 18%. Food and drink for all the family is on offer as well as family events, a children-specific zone and a zoned area that feels more adult.
- Two-room pubs – the target audience is families and pub regulars with the aim of ‘sharing good times for everyone’ and a 17% indicative share of estate. This includes two clearly-defined pub zones, food and drink for all the family, sports activities and a licensee who embraces two pubs in one.
