Star Pubs & Bars has announced plans to increase its Just Add Talent (JAT) managed operator business from 150 pubs to 250 by 2026.
The move will see managed pubs make up around 12% of the company’s 2,400 pub estate, with the core business remaining in leased and tenanted.
The group has reported robust trading, with the model particularly attractive in a high inflation environment as energy and other overheads apart from staffing costs are covered by Star.
The JAT estate was set up by Star in 2016 and saw Punch’s Falcon estate pubs converted to the JAT model when Star took on the Punch pubs in 2018.
The JAT pubs are overseen by the same business development managers who look after leased and tenanted pubs, and according to the group allows it to have a closer understanding of the retail offer and as a result share more meaningful insight.
One pub that has benefited from becoming a JAT pub is The Reiver on Holmrook Road on the edge of the Morton housing estate in Carlisle.
After a £265k refurbishment, the pub reopened at the end of April following a two-year closure, with a new drinking and dining space, sports area with pool table and darts and enclosed beer garden.
Lawson Mountstevens, Star Pubs & Bars managing director says “Our JAT pubs are great sites which have real appeal to operators and local communities. Although JAT pubs currently make up only 6% of the Star estate, 28% of applicants for our pubs are for JAT pubs.
“Our Just Add Talent pubs are a core part of our overall business. The JAT pubs provide an invaluable source of business insight for the wider L&T estate and Heineken.
”It allows the company to trial new products and evaluate consumer trends. Learnings from JAT estate and JAT supplier deals are rolled out to our leased & tenanted estate.”
