UK pub chain: Smoking ban driving expansion plans

Pub chain JD Wetherspoon said today that it planned to open 30 new pubs and create 1,200 jobs next year.

The expansion – part of investment in its estate worth £60m (€89m) – comes as the group prepares for the introduction of a smoking ban in England and Wales.

Chief executive John Hutson said he hoped that the smoking ban, which is already in place at a number of Wetherspoon sites, would result in more people visiting pubs in the long-term.

Mr Hutson added: “Our non-smoking pubs have proven very popular and this has given us the impetus to open more pubs in 2007.”

Wetherspoon opened 12 new outlets in 2006, but will invest more than £35m (€52m) in 30 sites next year. It currently has 662 pubs.

In addition, the company plans to invest a further £25m (€37m) on its existing outlets, including the creation of outside smoking areas.