Stonegate pushes forward with technology-focused pub format
Pavlovs Dog in Reading is the fifteenth pub under the format to open since the first in September 2013. It will re-open on Friday (6 February) following a £275k refurbishment.
Open from 8am daily, the new-look pub will offer super-fast broadband and access to a complimentary wifi-linked printer, plugs, USB ports and phone chargers as well as a coffee shop style grab and go counter serving tea, coffee, snacks and pastries.
Along with all-day food options, the pub will serve craft beers and ciders and cocktails and also have a dedicated sports area with pool table, retro game N64 and board games. Ten TV screens and a large drop down screen will be spread throughout the pub showing Sky Sports and BT Sport.
The pub will also encourage digital interaction when it comes to music with the installation of Secret DJ, an interactive jukebox system that allows the customer to digitally select a track from their phone or instantly download a song they’ve just heard.
Total package
Pavlovs Dog general manager Natalie Cooke said the new format pub offered a 'total package' for customers as it offered a space for eating, drinking, playing, relaxing and working.
“Customers want something different from a pub these days and the new Pavlovs Dog certainly delivers," she said. "Trends in pub going have altered significantly over the last few years and so we have diversified our business to reflect that; creating a pub that offers a total package from great food and drinks choices to the facilities and entertainment that appeals to any young person today.
“The investment is a big opportunity to create something new and fresh in the marketplace that will appeal to a wider audience and I’m looking forward to showcasing it to our existing and new customers.”
A spokesperson for Stonegate told BigHospitality said the format, which started out in Middlesborough and was aimed at the student market, was actually proving popular with a wider demographic. She said there were plans for more Stonegate pubs to be transformed, but they would be done on a case by case basis rather than a grand roll-out.
"The pubs are working really well and although they are primarily for students, we are seeing lecturers and professionals coming in to work alongside the younger customers. People love being able to use the Wi-Fi and use phone chargers without have to pay deposits," she said.
