A restaurant in the Cheshire countryside has diversified following a £500,000 investment.
The team at the Cock O' Barton near Malpas have created 14 modern rooms and eight new jobs with a forecast to increase turnover by £400,000 over the next 12 months.
Owner Matt Murphy said: “We have built a solid reputation for the Cock O' Barton as a quality pub and restaurant over recent years and wanted to expand the business.
“By building the rooms on to the historic coach house we have been able to combine the best of both worlds as I am able to manage both businesses from the same location and generate crossover trade.
“With a large function room and popular wedding venue destination we were often recommending local hotels and guest houses to our customers so it seemed logical to keep that trade on site if possible.”
Barclays business banking manager Stewart Murray said: “As champions of local business, it is essential that we support local growing businesses such as the Cock O' Barton. By really understanding the business and issues they have faced, Barclays has been able to support the business throughout its development. This expansion is an endorsement of the highly successful business Matt has developed and we had no hesitation in delivering a finance solution to support the expansion.”
Matt added: “We are constantly looking for ways to evolve and grow the business and if everything goes to plan we will potentially look to acquire another site over the next 18 months if we find the right opportunity. Running a business in this industry can be tough but the rewards far outweigh the downsides.”
