The Red Lion Public House - News

Great news, the landlord will make a fortune if they get it right.

 

Do we know who Anna Reza is?

 

Indeed, if they can make it nicer than what Price did which was crap they will get loads of punters coming there early, especially with the new overground station.

 

Agreed.

Any plank with half a brain could make money in there. It was done before and it could be done again. I knew two landlords in there back in the 1990's and they both made it work.

 

Personally I couldn't run a p*** up in a brewery, but even I could make a profit out of a pub or bar right opposite a Premier League football club.

 

Googled her and found this:
http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/ne...ew_owners_consider_what_to_do_with_it/?ref=mc

 

so they ahave decided to reopen it and run it themselves.

 

Googled Julian Tendler and he owns a liquidation firm .... website doesn't work although their google profile states 'Salvage Liquidator specialise in bulk redundant stock removal from surplus excess store and ex-catalogue stock through to Flood, Fire or Riot damaged goods.'

 

:bass::bass::bass::bass:

Bas was an ex "customer" of his...

 

Repeat customer....

 

I'm guessing the Anna Reza application is to secure permission in principle to a licence, then to switch it to whoever the new tenant landlord will be.

I wonder if Pope's are aware? Next best thing to owning a pub must be to take one as a tenant.

 

I believe people have been calling popes this afternoon. they are not returning calls..

 

Which one? Francis or Benedict?

 

Phone probably ringing off the hook. Switchboard crashed such is the interest from the world's media.

 

Popes don't seem very adept.

Pope’s joint owner Geoff Latham said pubs being turned into flats are ruining the character of the town.

He said: “The Red Lion very much has a future as a pub - it’s iconic in Watford.
“People keep asking us where they can buy our beer in Watford, we have outlets in Kings Langley, Abbots Langley – even Amsterdam. But none in Watford.
“We would have turned it into a community pub for everyone, we would have probably done some brewing in the pub – it would have become a real destination pu

“We’ve been searching for a freehold pub in Watford for about five years, which is why I’m particularly annoyed the liquidator did not contact me when the sale of this one came up".


If I was in the market for five years waiting for a freehold pub to come on the market I would have been keeping my finger on the pulse with this particular pub. What are there..a dozen pubs in Watford? How many were realistic prospects for Popes? Probably just that one.

 

I wouldn't read too much into this application. The value on the building is having a licence to sell alcohol - that goes with the building, NOT the owner.

It's easy to sell/turn the "pub" into a Nisa or Tesco Express supermarket which is licensed to sell alcohol if the Premises Licence is current, has decent licensing hours and hasn't expired.

If the Premises Licence was allowed to expire it is much more costly and difficult to get new one. And might not be possible if locals object or the council changes policy or gets difficult.

It doesn't mean at all that Ms Reza intends to reopen it herself as a pub.

 

Really? A pub that's busy once a fortnight? With the best will in the world, Vicarage Road, match day aside, doesn't strike me as an area that a pub will do especially well in. It'll probably be viable if the owner is essentially the only employee, but otherwise, nah.

 

I wouldn't be too harsh. I worked with a firm that went into liquidation and within days the liquidator had accepted an offer for the assets ... from the wife of the old owner. Very convenient.

My point being that as the Red Lion's new owners are in the industry they're more than likely to get first dibs at opportunities like this. It can be very difficult to prove liquidators don't take the best offer on behalf of all creditors.

 

The Vic Rd chippy seems to do well out of only being busy once a fortnight.

 

There is the hospital, with all those thirsty Doctors and Nurses, if they make the place half decent that is!

 

The challenge isn't making money on 20 odd game days a year, its making money on the other 330 odd days a year when the only trade is local

 

Can't imagine it being as easy as some are making out, for the reasons highlighted about match days being the only real money spinner.

 

I'm not going all UKIP here if I say the majority of NHS Doctors and nurses within the M25 area are born outside the UK. My physio at Watford General was a young girl from Enfield who drove there every day. She and the Filipino nurses and my Pakistani consultant simply don't drink. Sorry.

The Guardian agrees..... http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jan/26/nhs-foreign-nationals-immigration-health-service - across the whole UK its 40% foreign nurse and close to that for doctors.

% of folk living in West Watford born abroad would be way higher than that...

 

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/ne...ew_owners_consider_what_to_do_with_it/?ref=mc

 

The Hospital also has it's own bar doesn't it?

 

I could be wrong as I've never lived in Watford and therefore am not all that familiar with the ways of life there outside matchdays, but like any pub, wouldn't it still get its revenue from people working/living near, especially in the evenings when there are footy matches on the telly (don't have to feature Watford, and it doesn't have to be exclusively non-Watford fans watching them) or people just like to get p1ssed, football or not? And it's not like the Vic is on an out-of-town predominantly industrial estate like with Reading or Oxford, it's at those places I'm most surprised if the pubs get much money other than on match days.

Obviously the Red Lion would fare better if it were moved closer to the town centre, but again that's the same for every pub. Plenty of pubs around my area (mainly residential suburban North London) prosper without the need for tourist hordes.

 

A mate of mine lives close to there and often complains of a lack of local.

OK, anecdotal, but if you consider what makes a pub enjoyable it's not plain white walls decorated like a local rugby club.

Surely doesn't take that much dough to bring in some imitation oak. The layout isn't great admittedly but a beer festival on Saturdays and Sundays would work, televise the cricket and rugby as well as all footy...

Obviously a ticket is needed for match days but previous establishments did their best to exclude the local community.

Serving food may not work, how about an agreement with a local curry house, pizzeria and others to offer their takeaway menu at a reduced cost with orders going in every half hour? The number of times my missus wants to go out for a curry on champions league night is ridiculous, that would allow me to go for a beer and watch the game and all she cares about is a korma.

 

Your bird sounds alright

 

Korma though. I like mine with a bit of spice.

 

There are pubs in Croxley that are always busy. A well run pub where the Red Lion is would have no trouble attracting a regular crowd IMO.

 

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/ne...ld_eight_flats_opposite_town_s_football_club/

Application gone in to build flats on the land adjoining the Red Lion.

 

I've always said the one thing missing in Watford are flats squeezed in to the tiniest of spaces.

 

The Red Lion

My snout has told me the local rag has a story " brewing" on the pub and its future....

 

Up for Auction. Every thing bar the pub ground floor and cellar which are still listed for commercial use.

*Guide Price: £1,500,000


A Freehold Development Opportuntiy in Up and Coming Watford with Subject to Planning Permission For A New Build of Eight Flats in the Car Park. (Decision expected by the 6th of April)(Further Potential for a Build of 3 x 1 Bedroom Flats above the Commercial and 2 x 2 Bedroom Flats in the stables Subject to Obtaining Necessary Consent.)

Location

The property is situated on Vicarage Lane directly opposite Watford Football Club stadium, close to Watford General Hospital and Watford High Street tube station.

Description

The property comprises of a commercial Public on a 25 year lease from 2016 producing approximately £35,000 per annum.

Accommodation

Car Park 8 x 1 bedroom (6000 Sqft)
Commercial Upper 3 x 1 Beds (1400 Sqft)
Stables 2 x 2 Beds (1400 Sqft)

Tenure

Freehold

Viewings

Refer to Auctioneer.

 

2 days too early mate.