The former Varsity student bar in Lincoln (pictured) is being revamped into a new student-friendly destination offering craft beers alongside cocktails.
The site in Guildhall Street is to become The Mailbox after a £230,000 refurbishment by Stonegate Pub Company, creating 12 jobs.
Due to open on June 12, it will have six TV screens and one big screen inside and an outside screen in the revamped garden area – just in time for showing the first England game in the World Cup on June 14.
The Mailbox will have five regularly rotating craft beers on tap while three cask beers will also be available. Customers can try three at once with third-of-a-pint beer flights or alternatively share a two- or three-pint flagon. The cocktails, like the beers, will be available by the glass or as jugs for sharing.
The site will also offer super-fast broadband as well as a free wifi-linked printer for students to print off last-minute assignments. Plugs and USB ports will be available for easy phone and computer charging.
The Mailbox will offer a coffee shop-style grab-and-go counter serving tea, coffee and snacks from 8am to eat in or take-away every day.
The food and drink offering will include a main menu of burgers and meaty dogs, loaded with chilli, plus favourites such as mac and cheese or fish and chips.
The refurbishment will mean the pub will be set up with large trestle-style tables for group dining and socialising as well as comfortable armchairs for lounging.
To reward regular customers, the pub will launch a new loyalty card scheme where customers can earn points for purchases, which can then be translated into hard cash to spend in the pub.
The Mailbox will also introduce Secret DJ, an interactive jukebox system that allows the customer to digitally select a track from their phone to be played in the pub.
General manager Matthew Picker said: “The Mailbox will become the must-attend venue for all students and like-minded customers.
“By introducing all the added services and digital features we believe we’ve created a new generation of pub that is fit for purpose for both today’s students and all other customers.”
The pub will open at 8am seven days a week until midnight every night except Friday and Saturday when it will run until 1am.
Varsity in Lincoln was one of 78 sites, including six others branded as Varsity, that were acquired in November last year by Stonegate from the administrators of Bramwell Pub Company.
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