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 chain A key difference to the system largely operating today is that most tied houses are now owned by pub chains, known as "pubco's", who align themselves with specific suppliers in order to obtain big discounts, therefore reducing profits for the brewery. In the United Kingdom, there are two types of pub chain, reflecting the ownership of the pub and the style of operations. Pubs are either tenanted or managed. Pub chains such as Punch Taverns and Enterprise Inns own thousands of tenanted pubs which are not branded to retain uniqueness. They are controlled in the brands of beer, ales and