An iconic Leicester music venue is set to reopen following a \u00a3418,000 refurbishment backed by Star Pubs and new operators Jonathan and Ollie Wainright.<\/p>\n
The Donkey, on Welford Road, is expected to welcome customers again in mid-September after extensive redevelopment works begin in early August.<\/p>\n
The investment will create 20 jobs and restore the late-1800s pub as both a community venue and live music destination.<\/p>\n
Funded by Heineken-owned Star Pubs alongside the Wainrights, who also operate Leicester pubs The Cradock Arms and The Clarendon, the refurbishment includes a complete overhaul of the building, a redesigned interior, upgraded kitchen and cellar facilities, and a new festival-style outdoor space featuring a stage, bar and year-round seating.<\/p>\n
The venue will also relaunch with a programme of live entertainment, including touring acts, local musicians, comedy nights, quizzes and open mic events.<\/p>\n
Wainright said: \u201cThe Donkey is a legendary pub; so many people \u2013 including our family \u2013 have happy memories of great gigs there. We\u2019ve had our eye on it for a while, and we\u2019re thrilled to be taking it on. There had been concerns for The Donkey\u2019s future and we\u2019ve had a terrific response to the plans to revive it\u2013 there\u2019s lots of enthusiasm locally.<\/p>\n
\u201cPerformance spaces are vital but are declining; we want The Donkey to be an asset to Leicester\u2019s music scene again and a brilliant local. It\u2019s in desperate need of TLC and the investment is just what\u2019s required to get it back on its feet. We can\u2019t wait to open the doors and show everyone the changes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Craig Foweather, Star Pubs\u2019 investment manager said: \u201cWe\u2019re delighted to be teaming up with Jonathan and Ollie to restore such a well-known pub to its former glory. They\u2019ve got a track record for turning round struggling pubs and an in-depth knowledge of Leicester \u2013 they\u2019re just the people for the job. Their plans for The Donkey are incredibly exciting, and the garden will be a destination in its own right. We\u2019re giving The Donkey the works inside and out; it will be a premium community pub for the city\u2019s residents as well as a superb music venue that attracts music lovers from far and wide.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Refurbishment will see The Donkey reopen this autumn under experienced local operators, creating 20 jobs and restoring the venue’s live music offering<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":266702,"featured_media":2113088,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"coauthors":[127717],"class_list":["post-2113087","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-property","tag-featured-story","tag-leicestershire"],"yoast_head":"\n