Intertain acquires The Establishment Bar and Grill in Coventry
Intertain Ltd, well-known for its Walkabout brand of bars, has purchased the sub-lease on Coventry’s Old County Hall, known as “The Establishment”.
Before becoming The Establishment, the building was used as Coventry’s old court house and jail which opened in 1783. After laying empty for more than 20 years, it reopened as a bar and restaurant in 2013. Many of the original features have been retained within the grade II listed building – for example, the dock remains for people to see into and the cells have been transformed into a dining area.
The venue has played host to several ghost hunters over the years, and it is rumoured to be haunted by Mary Ball, the victim of the last public hanging at the jail in 1849 which is said to have attracted over 20,000 spectators.
Intertain Ltd will be adding this unit to their estate of 32 bars, the majority of which trade under the renowned Walkabout brand in major towns and cities across the UK. However, this site will continue to trade as The Establishment. This acquisition follows Christie & Co’s sales of two further units to the company late last year in Solihull and Lichfield.
Joshua Sullivan, Business Agent in Christie & Co’s Birmingham office who handled the sale says: “The purchase of this unique site gives further validation to the market opinion that Coventry city centre is very much an up and coming area. It is a target market for a lot of corporate operators due to the two universities in the locality and the fact that it is increasingly attracting businesses to the region. There is therefore high demand for many sites such as this in the centre and the quick turnaround of the sale further demonstrates this.
“We expect demand to increase as more and more corporate operators are set to follow Intertain and move in to the city, transforming it into a hub for the West Midlands.”
