If you run a pub, bar or restaurant, January is the best month to close for a refurbishment. Trade is at its quietest, the Christmas rush is over, and a refreshed space is ready to welcome customers back for Valentine's, Mother's Day and the start of spring.
But a successful January pub refurbishment isn't planned in January. The design work behind a good refurb takes six to eight weeks, and by early November there are fewer than nine weeks until the new year. If you want to close in January, the time to start is now.
Why the design stage takes six to eight weeks
A hospitality refurbishment is about far more than choosing new furniture and paint colours. Before any design is drawn, we visit the site, look at how the space is used, research your competitors and think about who your customers are and what will bring them back.
From there we develop the layout, finishes, lighting, furniture and any joinery drawings, and agree everything with you before work begins. Doing this properly is what makes the difference between a space that looks nicer and one that trades better.
Why you need to plan a January refurbishment before Christmas
Contractors book up early. Good decorators, joiners and electricians know January is busy, and many fill their diaries before Christmas. Plan early and you choose your trades, rather than taking whoever is left.
Lead times run through the festive period. Furniture, lighting, fabrics and bespoke joinery can take several weeks to arrive, and many suppliers close over Christmas. Anything not ordered by early December risks arriving after your trades have started.
December is for trading, not decisions. Once Christmas trade begins, there's no time to review designs or compare quotes. Getting the decisions made in November lets you focus on your busiest weeks of the year.
A finished design keeps your closure short. Every day you're closed costs you trade. When every drawing, finish and furniture choice is signed off before work starts, trades arrive knowing exactly what to do.
A realistic timeline for a January pub refurbishment
Early November. Site visit and consultation. Agree the brief, budget and how long you can afford to close.
November to early December. Research and design development, including layouts, finishes, lighting, furniture and joinery drawings.
Early December. Sign off the design, book trades and order long-lead items before suppliers close for Christmas.
January. Close, refurbish and reopen, ideally within two to three weeks.
Case study. The Cricketers pub refurbishment, Cambridge
The Cricketers in Cambridge had gone more than a decade without investment. It felt dated and uninviting, and the business was trading almost entirely on delivery. The new owners wanted a clearer identity and a space that worked harder commercially, on a modest budget.
We created two spaces with two distinct identities. At the front, a traditional pub with deep green walls, patterned wallpaper, leather seating and a mirrored back bar. At the back, a calmer Thai restaurant in mustard, dusky pink and soft red. Two spaces give customers more than one reason to visit, whether it's for a pint or a meal.
Because the design and drawings were all agreed before work began, the pub was closed for just 14 days.
“The feedback from customers has been incredibly positive, with so many commenting on how much more welcoming and cohesive the pub and restaurant now feel.”
Joe Baron, Director, Cricketers Thai
Is it worth paying for professional pub interior design?
It's tempting for small operators to design a refurb themselves to save money. But at The Cricketers, our design fee was only 10% of the total spend, and it saved our client time, costly mistakes and money.
And the numbers stack up. Just 8 extra covers a day at a £25 average spend adds up to over £60,000 in extra sales a year. A space that customers want to spend time in pays for itself quickly.
Design-only interior design for independent pubs and restaurants
Our design-only service makes professional hospitality interior design affordable for independent operators. We deliver the design, drawings and a full specification your contractors can work from. You handle the buying and installation yourself, so you don't pay procurement or project management fees you don't need.
If you'd rather hand over more, we can also help with sourcing and coordination.
Start planning your January refurbishment
If a January closure is on your list this year, don't wait for January. Book a free 15-minute intro call and we'll talk through your space, your budget and how quickly we can get you open again.
Frequently Asked Questions
With the design finished in advance, many pub refurbishments can be completed in two to three weeks. The Cricketers was closed for 14 days.
Ideally in early November. The design stage takes six to eight weeks, and trades and suppliers need booking before Christmas.
It depends on the size and scope of your project. At The Cricketers, the design fee was around 10% of the total refurbishment spend.
Yes. We work with pubs, bars and restaurants across Cambridge, Suffolk and East Anglia, and further afield on request.