Two of city’s busiest pubs to get a new lease of life

THE new owner of Dundee’s landmark Capitol pub has revealed it will remain a watering hole for locals.

Market Leisure director George Finlay plans to open the doors of the new Market venue next week.

He will officially take over the Seagate bar from Monday December 5 and hopes to welcome the first customers on December 7.

He unveiled his plans at the same time as Jimmy Marr, owner of the neighbouring former Cask & Cork pub, announced his own rebrand.

The venue has been renamed Rewind and will reopen this Friday at 5pm.

The two businessmen have welcomed one another’s plans and the wider redevelopment of the Seagate area.

George said: “I’m very happy to have secured it, it’s a building that’s known to most people from Dundee — although everyone knows it as something different.

“It’s a wonderful venue with a lot of potential and by taking the time to refurbish it properly, I hope to help the area improve.”

With Christmas l ooming, the Broughty Ferry businessman said he had decided to wait until after the festive period to give his premises the full rebrand treatment.

“It’s more important to get open for Christmas,” he said. “Then we can focus on creating our brand.

“It will follow a Wetherspoons model but I plan to increase quality while keeping price the same.

“I also want to see more local products. Wetherspoons is a national company but as a local one, I’m more able to introduce the local touch such as Scottish cask ales.”

Mr Finlay’s firm will lease the former JD Wetherspoons Capitol from its new owner.

Meanwhile, Mr Marr hopes his latest venture will help continue the revival of the city centre’s nightlife and has revealed his new premises at 7 Seagate have been reinvented as Rewind.

He said: “We started work as soon as the late licence was awarded, to get open in time for Christmas.

“It has been completely refurbed, with a new internal layout, and will be for an over-25s market that I feel isn’t catered for at the moment.

“The Seagate is a bustling street that should be promoted more and I hope this will help bring people back into the city centre in the evenings.”