Empire

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Beer Garden

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External Drinking Area

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Function Room

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Car Park

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Coastal

A fantastic opportunity has become available to take on The Empire, with the pub only becoming available due to the current operator relocating to another pub within Proper Pubs. Available from the end of November, The Empire is a well-established, detached community pub with a strong local following. Situated on the main road through a densely populated residential estate, it benefits from an excellent position at the heart of the community, with Grimsby town centre approximately two miles away. Grimsby is a well-established Lincolnshire town with a proud maritime and fishing heritage, offering a mix of shopping, leisure and entertainment, and strong links with neighbouring Cleethorpes.

The Empire is in excellent condition, having benefited from investment around 18 months ago. The current operator has done a fantastic job of looking after the pub and building the business, meaning the next operator will be walking into a really strong, ready-to-go opportunity. Entering through the front door, you're welcomed by the main bar servery, with a spacious open-plan trading area that has been cleverly zoned to create different areas due to its layout. To the right is the main bar area with a raised seating area, while to the left is a dedicated raised sports zone, home to the pool table and dartboard. Four TV screens are positioned throughout the pub, making it well set up for live sport and big sporting occasions. The main bar area is carpeted with a mixture of fixed and loose seating, while the pool and sports area has a wood-effect floor. The pub also benefits from a separate function room with its own bar, accessed away from the main trading space via the foyer and toilets. Comfortably accommodating around 50 people and with its own TV, this is a brilliant additional space for private parties, celebrations, meetings and community events.

Externally, The Empire has a car park and an outdoor drinking area to the side of the pub. This outside space also presents an exciting opportunity for further development, with potential future investment, something the landlords will be keen to explore.

The Empire is a lively, community-focused pub with a strong calendar of entertainment and plenty of opportunity for the next operator to build on what is already working well. Regular bingo, live entertainment and weekend DJs give customers plenty of reasons to visit, while the pub also hosts popular Sunday fun days, which are already well supported by the local community. Sport is an important part of the offer. With a full Sky Sports package, four TV screens, a pool table and a dartboard, there is a great opportunity to further establish The Empire as the place locally to watch live sport. The next operator should really get behind the sporting calendar, promoting key fixtures and creating reasons for customers to visit before and after the game, not just for kick-off. We’d also like to see the next operator build on the pub’s existing pool and darts offer, developing teams, leagues and competitions that encourage regular midweek trade. Creating even more reasons to visit throughout the week will be key; introducing quiz nights, games nights, and community activities could all complement the existing entertainment calendar and help bring different groups of customers into the pub.

There is also the separate function room, with its own bar and capacity for around 50 people; this is another area with real potential. The landlords would like to see this space promoted for private functions, celebrations and community events, making it a go-to local venue in its own right. They would also encourage the operator to explore relationships with external food vendors, particularly around busy weekends, sporting fixtures, fun days and events. This could add an additional reason to visit without changing the pub’s wet-led focus.