Wetherspoon chairman says island could support a second pub

The founder and chairman of JD Wetherspoon, Sir Tim Martin, has suggested the pub chain could one day open a second venue on the island, telling Isle of Man Today that the population is large enough to sustain two of its pubs.

He stressed, however, that no talks about expansion have been held. “The population of the Isle of Man is big enough for two pubs, but discussions regarding new additions haven’t taken place yet,” he told the newspaper.

His comments come more than a year after The Conister Arms opened on Regent Street in Douglas in May 2025. The pub took over the former 1886 Bar and Grill after a £1.8m redevelopment, according to Isle of Man Today.

Asked how the Douglas pub had fared, Sir Tim said: “The Conister has been a great success, popular with both locals and visitors.”

The venue is run under a franchise arrangement by local operator James Thompson and his team. Its opening created 120 additional jobs, Isle of Man Today reported, with staff from the former 1886 venue also offered positions.

Sir Tim said beer brewed on the island had proved popular with customers since the pub began stocking it. “We’re already selling local beers which are very popular, long may it continue!” he said.

Ahead of the opening, there were worries among some local traders and residents that the chain’s low prices could hurt smaller pubs, bars and cafes in the town. Sir Tim told Isle of Man Today at the time that he believed Wetherspoon would be a “plus” for Douglas.

Asked whether he still held that view, he said the chain brought a different dimension to most places where it trades. He pointed to its all-day food service from breakfast until shortly before closing, its range of real ales, the absence of music and prices he said were “usually lower than average”.

The pub’s name comes from Conister Rock, the islet in Douglas Bay. Its Regent Street home dates from 1886, when the building opened as the island’s General Post Office.