AN East End pub has reopened its doors following an extensive refurbishment.
Popular with Celtic fans, the beloved Tavern Bar reopened its doors on Thursday, March 28 after four months of hard work.
We first reported in April last year that the Gallagher family, who had owned the business for 23 years, were stepping down.
The pub, located on Tollcross Road, was subsequently bought over by property developers SIL Group.
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John Martin, managing director at SIL Group, says the pub it has been "ripped back to the bare walls and started again".
He explained: "The building hadn’t had any real money spent on it in what appeared to be a number of years so we’ve completely ripped out all the electrics, heating, seats, the ceilings have been taken down, we’ve installed air conditioning.
"We’re going to put new booths and in the booths we’re going to put TVs so if you’re sitting with a group of friends and you want to watch a football match or a sports game it will feel a wee bit more private.
"We’re not tied into any breweries but Tennents have been very helpful and we ended up installing a full new system."
He continued: "People have been popping their head in while the work’s been getting done and there’s a lot of surprised looks on their faces because of the change to the premises so it’s been a good response from all the local people and we’re looking forward to welcoming them back."
John says they are excited to welcome back old customers as well as attract new ones now they’ve reopened.
He said: "Tollcross is an up-and-coming area, there’s a lot of young couples moving into Tollcross and we would like it to be the venue they would want to come in on Thursday, Friday or Saturday night and feel comfortable and have a nice night rather than going into Glasgow [city centre]."
He added: "I think every community needs somewhere comfortable that you can feel welcomed with a friendly environment and friendly staff."
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However, John says they are still hoping the pub will remain popular with Celtic fans and will be ensuring they are made to feel just as welcome as they have always been.
He said: "We’re still welcoming Celtic fans and hopefully give them a nice atmosphere that they want to go to before and after football matches and on the away games to sit in the bar and watch it."
The sports bar and venue will also host events such as live music and open mic nights, and they plan to start selling food within the next few months.
The Tavern Bar will be holding an official opening party on Saturday, April 6 from 7pm with live music from Ben Monteith followed by tunes from DJ Sharpy until closing.
The Tavern Bar is located at 194 Tollcross Road.
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