British pub chain JD Wetherspoon will open 200 new pubs over the next five years across the UK and Ireland, by investing £400m in them.
In the process, the company is expected to create 15,000 new jobs, Reuters reported.
Founded in 1979, Wetherspoon currently operates 931 pubs. The new pubs will be opened in regions where the firm is not yet represented.
The new jobs will be created in both the existing and new pubs and will include positions in management and, bar and kitchen sections.
Wetherspoon founder and chairman Tim Martin was quoted by the Telegraph as saying: "We are proud to be creating so many new jobs and are looking forward to opening the new pubs, many of which will be in areas where Wetherspoon is not yet represented."
Wetherspoon offers low-priced drinks and food, including breakfasts and promotions such as steak and curry clubs.
Image: JD Wetherspoon CEO John Hutson with manager Julie Wilson at the opening of the company's 900th pub. Photo: courtesy of JD Wetherspoon.
