JD Wetherspoon set to open its 800th site

JD Wetherspoon is to open its 800th pub tomorrow in Ripon, North Yorkshire. The Unicorn hotel cost £2.1 million to develop and will also have 32 rooms.

Wetherspoon, founded by chairman Tim Martin (pictured) in 1979, aims to double its tally of pubs to 1,600 in the coming years, creating more than 30,000 jobs in the process.

Martin said: "The 800th pub opening is a wonderful milestone for the company and we are now looking forward to opening hundreds of new pubs. Our existing pubs are extremely popular and we wish to build on that success by opening new outlets across the UK.

"The new openings will result in new job opportunities and that is something which I am sure will be especially welcome," he added.

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By Gemma Rowbotham

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