Wetherspoons Wetherspoons J D Wetherspoon plc, branded as Wetherspoon, is a pub company in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1979 by Tim Martin, the company operates arond 900 outlets, including the chain of Lloyds No.1 bars and a growing number of Wetherspoon hotels. With its headquarters in Watford, Wetherspoon is known for converting unconventional yet attractive premises into pubs. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. Tim Martin opened his first pub in 1979, in Colney Hatch Lane in Muswell Hill, north London. Many of
O'Neill's (pub chain) 1995. By 1996, there were 52 and it was Bass's most successful pub chain. By 1996, Bass was opening more than one a month, and had spent £40 million on the pub chain. Ten opened in September 1996 alone. Bass owned Caffrey's ale, which was launched by the company around the same time as O'Neill's. By late 1996, Bass was opening a branch of O'Neill's every week. By the end of 1997, Bass had over 250 Irish-themed pubs. Bass acquired the 40-strong Scruffy Murphy's Irish pub chain from Allied Domecq in 1999. By June 2003, Mitchells and Butlers had 91