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
Pub stand-alone signs directing potential customers to their door. Pub names are used to identify and differentiate each pub. Modern names are sometimes a marketing ploy or attempt to create "brand awareness", frequently using a comic theme thought to be memorable, "Slug and Lettuce" for a pub chain being an example. Interesting origins are not confined to old or traditional names, however. Names and their origins can be broken up into a relatively small number of categories. As many pubs are centuries old, many of their early customers were unable to read, and pictorial signs could be readily recognised when lettering