Food to make up 60% of sales at new Marston's pubs
Food could account for up to 60% of the total retail sales in the 60 new pubs Marston's is planning to build over the next three years.
The pub operator and brewer aims to open 15 new managed establishments in 2010, 20 in 2011, and 25 in 2012, following a £165.6m rights issue in July this year.
The news follows the announcement of Marston's preliminary results for 2009, which saw group revenue fall 3% to £645.1m, while profits dropped 13.5% to £70.3m.
The group called the performance "creditable" given the challenging market conditions but maintained a "cautious" outlook for 2010. Despite the tough trading conditions, it plans to go ahead with its new build programme, including 11 new sites.
Derek Andrew, managing director of the organisation's managed pubs arm, Marston's Inns and Taverns, told Caterer: "Overall as a business, our food accounts for around 39% of retail sales.
"In these news pubs it could be 60% - they will either use our two-for-one operations or what we call our Milestone Carvery, where you get both a carvery and a pub restaurant menu."