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Ah, ’Spoons. One of the most successful pub chains in the UK, the budget boozer chain already has 37 branches in central London. And now it’s about to get a 38th.
Wetherspoons has had its eye on a unit on the Strand since 2024, when it first applied for permission from Westminster City Council to open a pub on the site. Back then, the request was denied, with officials noting concerns about noise and disturbance for local residents. But the pub chain persisted. The decision was appealed, forcing the council to reconsider its initial rejection and provide clearer grounds as to why the space couldn’t become a pub.
That brings us to now. It was revealed this week (on Tuesday January 6) that the council has granted Wetherspoons a license to operate a pub and restaurant on the Strand.
The new location is right next to Charing Cross train station. Like, right next door, on 11 Strand between the station and Trafalgar Square. Entry and exit will be available from the station’s forecourt, with the pub open from 7am until 11.30pm on weeknights, closing at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and 10.30pm on Sundays. It is expected to have space for around 320 people across two floors.
In its application, ’Spoons noted that this will operate like a traditional pub, with no loud music or events taking place. It hopes that this will minimise any disruption caused to those who live nearby. It’s also hoped that being right next to a train and tube station, as well as several bus stops, will help clear the space quickly after last orders, minimising the number of people lingering once the pub shuts.
We don’t yet know when Charing Cross’ new Wetherspoons will open, nor what it will be called. It’s yet to be added to the company’s online list of branches which are ‘opening soon’, which goes up to February 2026.
When it comes to new pub openings, ’Spoons is on a bit of a roll at the mo. In London, branches have popped up in Fulham, Paddington and London Bridge in recent months, while 30 new pubs were announced across the UK last summer. In even bigger news, the chain recently announced that it’s going international, opening up a location in Alicante airport.
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