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Walkabout is an Australian themed pub and restaurant chain in the United Kingdom, owned by Stonegate Pubs since December 2016. [1]
The first Walkabout bar was opened in 1994. In December 2016, it was reported that the brand had 30 outlets, down from a peak of about 50. [1]
In 2009, Walkabout's parent company went into administration. A number of unprofitable sites were closed and the company refinanced itself. [2]
In the 2010s, Walkabout came under pressure by boroughs keen to clean up and gentrify their high streets. [3] Its Covent Garden branch, which was the first to open in the mid '90s, was closed in March 2013 with the company saying the site was too small. [2] There were 30 Walkabouts left operating at this time. [2] Shepherd's Bush Walkabout, one of their best known branches, closed in October 2013, leaving only one branch of Walkabout in London. [3] This closed in 2017.
Commencing in 2013, Walkabout embarked on a refurbishment programme across the estate, with the following sites being refurbished: Derby, Carlisle, Lincoln and Blackpool. Following a hiatus in the refurbishment programme works began in earnest in 2015 starting in March with Walkabout Bristol, followed by Sheffield and Newquay. Also the first new Walkabout for 6 years opened in Brighton [4] (in the former Walkabout site); other new venues popped up in Solihull and Lichfield (following the purchase of two former Apres sites [5] ). 2015 finished with the opening of a new Walkabout in Manchester's Printworks just before Christmas. [6]
2016 began with the refurbishment of the Walkabout Birmingham on Broad St. [7] Throughout the year, many other existing venues were refurbished, now functioning as new concept Walkabouts. They also have continued to acquire a variety of new sites across the UK and close others. [8]
The most recent opening was in Chelmsford, [9] where the site transitioned from a Wetherspoons to a new Walkabout bar in under three weeks. [10] In contrast, Walkabout's Liverpool venue closed on New Year's Day 2018 after 20 years. [11]
Walkabout has also evolved through innovation, [12] from collaborations with Pieminister [13] and Kilner, [14] to developments in their food offering and stadium seating being added to the Reading venue for watching sports. [15]
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