NEW owners have revealed plans to invest £100,000 into a Cookley pub and turn it into a central hub for the community.
The Eagle & Spur in Castle Road will officially reopen on Friday after a small refurbishment and manager Dean Cox is keen to bring back the "village atmosphere" he says was lost when the last owner passed away.
Father-of-two Dean, aged 51, who has lived in Cookley all his life, said: "The whole pub has been repainted and has new carpets and new furniture.
"The kitchen was a mess so that's had a deep clean and we've now got Sky Sports and BT in the back room.
"We've got a new chef and a new menu. We want to get that village feel back and give the pub that friendly pub atmosphere."
Dean was a steward at Cookley Sports and Social Club for 10 years and has been a member of the parish council for 28 years.
The new Eagle & Spur menu is made up of classic pub meals including pies, lasagne, ham and eggs, steaks and vegetarian and vegan options. A traditional roast lunch will also be available on a Sunday.
The main bar area is set to undergo a revamp in November, and Dean said that new owners Star Pubs have also announced plans to invest between £100,000 and £150,000 into refurbishing the pub next year.
Plans include a installing an outdoor children's play area, a bar in the back function room and a pizza oven in the garden.
A team of eight staff - all from the surrounding area - have been hired to work at the pub day-to-day.
The new-look pub is also offering a loyalty card scheme with discounts available on drinks, and special offers will be available for all customers throughout the week, including cheap drinks on Monday nights, a free starter with each main on Tuesdays, and two steaks and a bottle of wine for £25 on Wednesdays.
For the official launch event on October 25, Rule No 1 will be performing live and additional temporary bars will be installed to cope with demand.
For more information, search Eagle & Spur on Facebook.
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