Wiltshire-based brewer and pub operator Arkell's has opened an Oxford pub, which it bought from Scottish & Newcastle Pub Company in March, following a £100,000 investment.
The Radcliffe Arms in Jericho has been closed since July 2010 but has now re-opened as the Rickety Press.
Arkell's bought the pub for around £460,000. It is now run by tenants Chris Manners and Leo Johnson, who operate another Arkell's tenanted pub in Oxford, the Rusty Bicyle on Magdalen Road.
Refurbishments at the pub, which operated as a Thai takeaway after its closure, included a new bar, new flooring, new toliets and adding a smoking area and a snug.
Arkell's chairman James Arkell said: “This is our second purchase in Oxford in three years. I believe that the right pub in the right place, with the right tenants has a bright future.
“The essentials were all there: a good residential area and a loyal following of customers who had been lost thanks to a lack of investment by previous landlords. We hope our investment will encourage customers back in and it’s looking good as they drank the pub dry the first weekend, and we had to get more real ale delivered.”
Arkell's currently operates around 100 pubs.
