Editing Wetherspoons (section)

==History==
===Foundation and early years===
[[Tim Martin (businessman)|Tim Martin]] opened his first pub in 1979 in [[Colney Hatch]] Lane in [[Muswell Hill]], London.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/news_detail.aspx?articleid=2891 |title=Refurb for Tim Martin's first outlet | work = Property News |publisher=Morning Advertiser |access-date=26 February 2010}}</ref> Many of the other early Wetherspoon pubs were also in the western part of [[London Borough of Haringey|Haringey]]. The name of the business originates from [[Boss Hogg|JD Hogg]], a character in ''[[The Dukes of Hazzard]]'', and Wetherspoon, the surname of one of Martin's teachers in New Zealand, who was known to not be able to control his classroom, similar to Martin's first pub, thus the name.<ref name="cumming">{{cite news |last1=Cumming |first1=Ed |title=How Britain fell for Wetherspoon's |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/aug/06/how-britain-fell-for-wetherspoons |access-date=2 June 2021 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=6 August 2017 |language=en}}</ref><ref>[http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/news.ma/article/2891 Refurb for Tim Martin's first outlet] ''Morning Advertiser'', 1 September 2005</ref><ref name="observer">{{cite news |last1=Mathiason |first1=Nick |title=The real pub landlord |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2002/mar/03/theeuro.europeanunion |access-date=2 June 2021 |work=[[The Observer]] |date=3 March 2002 |language=en}}</ref>

During the 1990s, Wetherspoons began a policy of routinely closing its smaller or less profitable outlets, often replacing them with larger premises close by. In 1998, Wetherspoons introduced the oversized [[pint glass]] to promote the "full pint".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/the-investment-column-wetherspoon-dips-in-growth-glitch-1149610.html |title=The Investment Column: Wetherspoon dips in growth glitch | work = Business, News |publisher=The Independent |date=11 March 1998 |access-date=26 February 2010 | location=London}}</ref> This initiative was withdrawn, supposedly because customers were still asking for top-ups, but arguably because other pub chains did not follow its lead.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.camranorthlondon.org.uk/fullpint/fp0605.html |title=Full Pint Issue 6 |publisher=CAMRA North London |date=28 August 2002 |access-date=26 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604093624/http://www.camranorthlondon.org.uk/fullpint/fp0605.html |archive-date=4 June 2008 }}</ref>

Wetherspoons pioneered non-smoking areas in pubs before the [[Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005]], The Smoking (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 and the [[Health Act 2006]] in England and Wales became law in 2006.<ref name=bbc_smoking>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4201053.stm |title=Wetherspoon pubs ban smoking|access-date=2 June 2008|work=BBC News | date=24 January 2005}}</ref><ref name="guard_smoking">{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/business/2005/jan/24/society.smoking|title=Wetherspoon pubs to ban smoking|access-date=2 June 2008|work=guardian.co.uk | location=London | first=Mark | last=Tran | date=24 January 2005}}</ref>

In 2015, Wetherspoons was ordered to pay a total of £24,000 in damages for "direct racial discrimination" to eight individuals who were refused admittance to one of its pubs in north London (The Coronet on [[Holloway Road]], [[Islington]]) based on what a judge described as "the stereotypical assumption that [[Irish Travellers|Irish travellers]] and English gypsies cause disorder wherever they go".<ref>{{Cite news|title=Pub chain pays damages over traveller race bias|date=18 May 2015|newspaper=London Evening Standard|page=10}}</ref>

On 16 April 2018, Wetherspoons deleted all of its social media profiles. Chairman Tim Martin cited the "current bad publicity surrounding social media, including the trolling of MPs and others" as a reason for the decision.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Christie|first1=Sophie|title=JD Wetherspoon closes all of its social media accounts with immediate effect|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2018/04/16/jd-wetherspoon-closes-social-media-accounts-immediate-effect/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2018/04/16/jd-wetherspoon-closes-social-media-accounts-immediate-effect/ |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=16 April 2018|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=16 April 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The chain, whose founder is a strong supporter of [[Brexit]], replaced champagne with British and Australian sparkling wines on 9 July 2018. The firm stated that the goal was to reduce prices for its two million weekly customers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/wetherspoons-brexit-latest-champagne-sparkling-wines-beer-menu-a8396341.html|title=Wetherspoon to replace champagne with British sparkling wines in the run-up to Brexit|date=13 June 2018|website=The Independent}}</ref>

===Development since 2020===
In mid-March 2020, during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom]], the government advised the public to avoid areas like pubs, clubs, restaurants, and gyms. As a result, many pub chains closed. However, Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin rejected the government's advice and initially did not close any pubs, saying that his instinct was that "closure won't save lives but will cost thousands of jobs".<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/mar/20/coronavirus-wetherspoons-boss-says-uk-pubs-will-stay-open-as-long-as-possible Wetherspoons boss says UK pubs will stay open as long as possible] ''The Guardian'' 20 March 2020</ref> The government ordered the closure of all pubs from 21 March.<ref>{{Cite news|title=PM orders shutdown of all bars and restaurants|date=21 March 2020|work=The Times|page=1}}</ref> 

Martin suggested that if some staff were offered jobs in supermarkets they should consider taking them and promised that he would give first preference to those who wanted to come back to Wetherspoons.<ref name="ind">{{Cite web |date=2020-03-24 |title=Millionaire Wetherspoon's boss says staff might want to work for Tesco |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-wetherspoon-tim-martin-pub-closed-tesco-supermarket-uk-a9420906.html |first1=Colin |last1=Drury |website=The Independent |language=en |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20221020111949/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-wetherspoon-tim-martin-pub-closed-tesco-supermarket-uk-a9420906.html%3famp |archive-date= Oct 20, 2022 }}</ref> A number of newspapers inaccurately reported Martin's suggestion, adding that Wetherspoons would withhold staff pay also, but later issued corrections.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-15 |title=Wetherspoon founder Sir Tim Martin wins fifth retraction from newspaper |url=https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/south-west/news/10750-wetherspoon-founder-sir-tim-martin-wins-fifth-retraction-from-newspaper |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=South West |language=en}}</ref> The majority of staff were placed on the Government furlough scheme after its announcement.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/news/AN_1588849742188310800/jd-wetherspoons-corrects-media-reports-on-staff-pay-and-reopenings.aspx |title=JD Wetherspoons Corrects Media Reports On Staff Pay And Reopenings |work=Morning Star |date=7 May 2020 | access-date=24 August 2020}}{{dead link|date=April 2024}}</ref>

Wetherspoons told its suppliers in March it would not pay them until its 874 pubs were allowed to reopen after the coronavirus lockdown.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/mar/25/jd-wetherspoon-refuses-pay-suppliers-until-uk-coronavirus-lockdown-ends |first1=Rob |last1=Davies |title=JD Wetherspoon refuses to pay suppliers until lockdown ends|date=25 March 2020|website=The Guardian|access-date=29 March 2020}}</ref> In October 2020, Wetherspoons reported its first loss in 36 years. For the year ending in July 2020, the company published a pre-tax loss of £34.1 million; the previous year, it reported a pre-tax profit of £102.5 million.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/972248cf-1a78-4c3a-b50e-f3e58b29df6e |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/972248cf-1a78-4c3a-b50e-f3e58b29df6e |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Pub chain Wetherspoons pushed by Covid to first annual loss since 1984 |work=[[Financial Times]]|date=16 October 2020|access-date=16 October 2020|author=Alice Hancock}}</ref>

In March 2021, Wetherspoons reaffirmed its expansion plans including 75 projects, comprising 18 new pubs and 57 significant extensions to existing venues. Martin said that the ten-year project would create 2,000 jobs for staff, but that it would be "conditional on the UK opening back up again on a long-term basis, with no further lockdowns or the constant changing of rules".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wood |first1=Zoe |title=JD Wetherspoon to create 2,000 jobs with post-lockdown investment |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/mar/30/wetherspoon-to-create-2000-jobs-with-post-lockdown-investment |access-date=2 June 2021 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=30 March 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

The company announced, in April 2025, that it would open its first pub in the [[Isle of Man]] in [[Douglas, Isle of Man|Douglas]] in May 2025. Manx hospitality groups expressed doubt about the viability of further expansion.<ref name="iomtoday">{{cite news |last1=Curphey |first1=Tom |title='We didn't really expect it': Pub bosses react to Wetherspoons announcement |url=https://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/we-didnt-really-expect-it-pub-bosses-react-to-wetherspoons-announcement-779560 |access-date=2 April 2025 |work=[[Isle of Man Newspapers|Isle of Man Today]] |date=1 April 2025}}</ref>