Small ‘paradise’ island off the coast of the UK to get first ever Wetherspoons pub

WETHERSPOONS is opening its very first branch on the Isle of Man.

The chain of pubs, which is one of the largest in the UK, has confirmed it will open the Conister Arms on the site on 14 May.

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The Conister Arms will open on Regent Street in Douglas, the capital town of the Isle of Man.

In a statement confirming the takeover, the chain said its pubs had “proven popular” in the UK and Ireland.

And it was “confident that the new pub will appeal to a wide range of customers and be an asset to the social scene in Douglas.”

Currently, the site is occupied by 1886 Bar and Grill. The four-storey venue, which sits just off the main shopping street and has a capacity of 725.

Chief executive of Thompson Holdings, which owns 1886, James Thompson told the BBC that existing staff had been offered roles at the new pub and about 120 other staff would also be recruited.

Mr Thompson said the move was “about the future of our high street” as the island’s hospitality sector was “on its knees”.

Hospitality had become “unaffordable for too many” and the “only real solution” was to “get prices down and keep them down”.

The island’s very first ‘Spoons will open its doors to customers for the first time next week.

To mark the occasion, the pub will be officially opened by the Mayor of Douglas at 8am.

The Isle of Man has been called ‘paradise’ thanks to its white sandy beaches and amazing wildlife.

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Known as the UK British Isles Galapagos, the island is home to seals, porpoises, whales, dolphins, basking sharks, and wallabies.

But this isn’t the only Wetherspoons opening this year

Another Wetherspoons pub set to open is in one of the former entrances of Fulham Broadway tube station, that closed in 2003.

The site currently includes the original Edwardian ticket office, including a vintage ‘To The Trains’ sign.

It is thought the original features will be kept and the pub will include a new beer garden roof terrace.

The pub will be named Walham Green and is set to open on June 17.

A total of 15 new Wetherspoons pubs will be coming to the UK, with two new pubs already unveiled this year in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, and at London Waterloo station.

Six locations have opening dates already and a further nine sites will open by July 2026.

The Sun’s Kara Godfrey went to prettiest Wetherspoons in the UK – it’s right by the beach with huge stained glass windows

Plus, the UK’s 11 prettiest Wetherspoons from former opera halls to Victorian bath houses.

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