Pub boss hopes for a MonumenTal success
ASOUTHPORT town centre pub will reopen this week with an experienced landlord at the helm.
Martin Rowe, who previously ran the George on Duke Street, has overseen a transformation of the former Hoghton Arms and the pub is to be reborn as The MonumenT.
A major refurbishment has been carried out in the pub, near Southport railway station, with new furniture and designs throughout.
Half of the pub has will now become a sports bar, with the building’s layout providing a natural divide to the other areas.
Plans are also in place to create an outdoor drinking space.
Martin, who previously also worked as a taxi driver, said the pub was perfectly placed to be a success but needed a fresh start to attract new customers.
He said: “I’d sat and gone past the pub so many times, thinking it should be a great community place for the town, right by the train station.
“I looked into it several times but it wasn’t the right time and things just fell into place.”
He is also inviting customers to donate sports memorabilia which will be used to decorate the sports bar area in a bid to help visitors “feel like they’re part of the fabric of the place”.
Martin said he spoke to the owners of the nearby Southport Tavern, who turned the Albert into a thriving pub after years of struggling in its former guise. He now hopes to carry out a similarly successful transformation at the MonumenT, and believes business owners can work together to create a successful area which he is calling the “Station Quarter”.
The pub reopens tomorrow (Friday) at 11am, with a Northern Soul event taking place in the evening from 7pm, hosted by local DJ Andy Curtis Simpson.
A new menu is being finalised and will include bar meals including pizzas, toasties, soups and sandwiches, each with a modern twist. There will also be “pie and pint” deals during sports matches and special food events hosted by Antonio “Tony” Sebastianelli, the former owner of the much-loved Tony’s restaurant on King Street.
“He has a lot of people asking about him, asking what he is up to and who miss his cooking,” Martin said.
“It gives Tony the chance to dust of his cooking skills and it gives his regulars a chance to see him and enjoy his food.
“People loved his food, especially his steaks, so we thought why not have theme nights, such as steak nights.”