GLASGOW-based entrepreneur Oli Norman and business partner Stephen White have launched a pub company to bring together their collection of landmark bars under a single umbrella.
The move was announced as the duo revealed the latest addition to their portfolio, Maggie Mays on the city’s Trongate, which was bought for “north of £2 million”.
Mr Norman, who owns the fast-growing itison daily deals business, and Mr White have acquired the live music bar from Colin Beattie, the publican behind Oran Mor on Byres Road.
The purchase of Maggie Mays comes hard on the heels of Mr Norman and Mr White’s acquisition of famous Glasgow pub The Griffin. The historic pub, based across from the King’s Theatre, joins a portfolio which also includes Brel on Ashton Lane and Sloans in the Argyll Arcade.
Mr Norman and Mr White have launched a new company, Great Glasgow Institutions and Taverns, to bring the outlets under one roof.
Mr Norman said: “As a consequence of us buying The Griffin and Maggie’s, that’s us now got four units. All four of them, whilst they are very, very different in personality, all share in common the fact they are what we would call Glasgow institutions in some way, shape or form.
“They are part of the real fabric of the city, so we wanted to create a group and formalise that whole structure.”
The company, which Mr Norman humorously refers to as GGIT, employs more than 200 staff and is expected to turn over £8m in its first year.
And 12 further jobs are expected to be created by the process of setting up a head office structure for the group. GGIT has already recruiting for a number of roles, ranging from a new events and bookings team to maintenance and book-keeping jobs.
Nicola Wilkinson, who is currently general manager of Sloans, has been appointed operations director for the group.
On Maggie Mays, which Mark Lappin of One Leisure Group had operated on behalf of Mr Beattie, Mr Norman said: “It fits in within our DNA as a group as an up and coming institution. It’s been on the scene for over a decade, and is just a really well-established, great fun venue.
“We’re at the early stages of looking in the New Year to do a full refurbishment plan of the space, which is quite exciting. It’s a very busy, great fun place that’s got this great dynamic of live sport, live music and a late licence. It means you’ve got this really fun environment.”
In common with the other units they have acquired, Mr Norman said Maggie Mays “just needs a bit of love – I think that’s fair to say of The Griffin [and] any of the units we have taken over.”
Mr Norman added: “Sloans, Griffin and Brel are all either Grade A or B listed, and I’m really pretty proud of the fact we’ve restored them all, and added to them.
“They have all been in some way restoration projects – we’ve had to do major structural works as well as restore integral features of the spaces.
“Maggie’s is clearly different, because it was built in the modern era in the last couple of decades, but it’s got this great heritage of music and [is] a great live venue. We’re looking to really build on that.
"The last thing the city needs is another generic place. What I love about each of our places is they all have a really strong, bold personality.”
Mr Norman held up Glasgow operators such as Colin Clydesdale and Carol Wright, owners of the Ubiquitous Chip, Di Maggio’s and Kained (Holdings), the company behind Lebowskis and Porter & Rye in Finnieston, as hospitality businesses in the city he admires.
Although GGIT has made two acquisitions in recent weeks, Mr Norman said the company is no hurry to add any more, stating that the owners are not in the business of “empire building”.
As for the inspiration behind the company name, Mr Norman, known for his sense of humour, said it stemmed from their desire to have some fun, while having “substance behind it”.
“Ultimately we want people to be good GGITs – not bad GGITs,” he laughed.
“All the names I have chosen for my businesses – DADA, itison – are reflective of a fun environment. We’re in hospitality and we should never lose sight of that.”
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