Blackpool bars group delighted to take over historic No 3

The resort’s Ma Kelly’s group has taken over the No 3 pub at the junction of Devonshire Road and Whitegate Drive and is promising to make it into something special.

It has changed hands and names in recent years with Mitchells and Butlers selling it to Greene King to operate as one of its Spirit Pub Company Flaming Grills.

Under Mitchells it had been renamed the Crown Carvery in a move which upset many resort beer buffs. At the time of the change in 2014 it underwent a £300,000 refurbishment and was given its No3 name back.

Now the pub is in the hands of a local company which already has six venues across the resort.

One of Ma Kelly’s directors, Mick Sugden, said the group had been working on buying the popular pub for about three months and bought it from Greene King a week ago.

He said: “This is going to be something special a bit different for Blackpool.We are taking it back to the old times, the traditional pub it used to be.

“We are taking out the kitchen and using the area to make the pub bigger.Work starts on Monday and we should be open by the end of October.

he left hand side is going to be a sports bar, while the right hand side is going to be the No 3 wine bar. It will be unbelievable, with background music, a DJ a saxophonist – a very classy venue with wines and cocktails.”

He said he hoped people in the area would appreciate the new look for the pub and had been encouraged by the comments he had received already after many people had said the restaurant had not been the biggest success.

He added: “We have been working on this for about three months and we are delighted to take over one of Blackpool’s historic pubs.”