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
Irish pub Kavanagh, Brendan Behan and James Joyce. In 2004, the Irish government passed a law outlawing smoking in pubs resulting in many pubs having outdoor smoking areas. The vast majority of pubs on the island of Ireland are independently owned and licensed, or owned by a chain that does not have any brewery involvement, generally meaning that nearly every pub sells a similar but extensive range of products. Following the introduction of smoking bans in the Republic of Ireland (in 2004) and Northern Ireland (in 2007) many pubs offer enclosed and often heated outdoor smoking areas. Pubs in Northern Ireland are