A Blackburn pub has temporarily closed its doors but is set to reopen after a mammoth £500,000 refurbishment.
The Observatory, in Old Bank Lane, closed at the end of June and has a prospective reopening date of August 1.
A new menu, a refreshed sports viewing area and and improved outdoor area with its own bar are just some of the changes set to be made.
Excitingly, the Thwaites Brewery pub is also set to have an interactive darts experience said to be the first of its kind in Blackburn.
Landlords, Mark Fish and Tom Croft, have been updating their punters about the pub’s progress since work began on June 27.
They said: “Over recent months an opportunity has arisen for us to invest jointly alongside Daniel Thwaites in a project that will see work carried out on the beer garden, in the kitchen and throughout the venue.
“As part of this commitment, we have signed a 10-year agreement to remain at The Observatory.
“We can now confirm after discussions with the brewery, designers and contractors that work is due to commence on Monday, June 27, lasting a period of approximately five weeks.
“Due to the extensive nature of this project, we will unfortunately have to remain closed throughout this period and as such, to get the venue ready for this refurbishment, our final day of trading before the works commence will be Friday, June 24, with a planned reopening date of Monday, August 1.
“We thank you all for your continued support and apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and we cannot wait to welcome you all back to your new look Observatory once the works have been completed.”
Mark and Tom have also posted update videos of the refurbishment.
In the video we can see the stripped out interiors ready to be renovated.
Thwaites Brewery’s head of pubs and brewing, Andrew Buchanan, said: “We are delighted to be investing in another of our Blackburn pubs.
“Tom and Mark have been at The Observatory for four years and have done a great job.
“This investment will help them take the pub forward and provide a fantastic venue with new and innovative features.
“The upgrades will include a significantly improved outdoor area with a covered space and its own bar, a refreshed sports viewing area featuring Blackburn’s first interactive darts experience, a complete refresh of the food menu and of course, fantastic Thwaites cask ale from our local brewery.
"Jointly we will be investing over £500,000. The pub is due to re-open early in August.”
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