Troubled bar in Northampton town centre temporarily closes again as latest landlord lasts just three months
A well-known bar in Northampton town centre has closed its doors AGAIN after its latest landlord has washed his hands of it.
The King Billy, in Commercial Street, has temporarily closed once more, with the latest landlord lasting around three months.
The landlord took over the site in November from the previous landlady, Rachel Nash, who ran the pub for two years before quitting in October, saying it was ‘impossible’ to cover the mounting bills.
Chronicle and Echo contacted the outgoing landlord, who said the reason for the closure is that he ‘doesn’t live in Northampton anymore’.
The brewery that owns the pub, Star Pubs, said: “The current licensee is leaving the pub by mutual agreement, and it has therefore closed temporarily.
“Our aim is to reopen King Billy as quickly as possible, and we are in the process of identifying a suitable operator to run it. We’re not able to confirm timescales at this stage.”
Meanwhile, the pub is once again shut, waiting for another publican to give it a lease of life. The venue is currently on the market for rent with Star Pubs.
A spokeswoman from Star Pubs added: “King Billy in Northampton is leased to an independent operator to run as their own business on a temporary basis, who is responsible for the day-to-day running of the pub.
“We continue to advertise for a longer-term solution for this popular town centre music venue. The King Billy is a great business venture, and anyone with extensive experience in the hospitality industry who is interested in running it can visit our website or contact our recruitment team on 08085 94 95 96.”
The sales advert for the pub says people ‘flock’ to there for a night out. It reads: “Many people work in the centre of town and flock there for nights out. In addition to the circa 4,000 adults living within a ten-minute walk of the pub, the town also attracts a lot of tourists. Being in the town centre, there are several nearby venues; however, the King Billy has history, and we look to further build on this and make it the best music venue in town.
“The pub already has an established trade and a strong reputation as a great music venue. With live music across multiple genres, we are looking to widen the appeal to new audiences, attracting them into the welcoming and inclusive location to really bring the pub alive.”