People stood at the bar

Do you need experience running a pub before taking on a pub tenancy?

Whilst prior experience does help when entering into the world of running pubs, and is required for our franchise (self employed manager) operations, it’s not the only factor we’re looking for when it comes to taking on a pub tenancy.

Enthusiasm, personality, business acumen, people skills and an understanding of sales and marketing are all transferable skills from other industries that contribute to making a successful pub tenant. We’ve got entrepreneurs from all walks of life, retailers, HR execs and even an ex-headteacher who have all stepped into pub tenancies with Greene King! 

We’ve found that a tenancy agreement is a popular route for anyone wanting to set up a new business with the support of an established pub company/brewery behind them. The great thing about a pub tenancy is that you’re not alone – although it’s your business and you get to set the agenda, driving it forward – you are doing it with the full support of the pub company / brewery behind you. 

And that’s why previous experience working in the pub trade isn’t a prerequisite of our application process. We’re keen to work with entrepreneurial people who have the potential to build an exciting and profitable business.


People sat around a laptop

How can I build up my knowledge?

Any reputable pub company will offer comprehensive training to ensure you’re not left floundering – but at Greene King Pub Partners, we go the extra mile to ensure no topic is left uncovered. Our in-depth training courses provide both practical business tools that you can utilise from the very beginning.

There are introductory courses to help you obtain the statutory British Institute of Inn Keeping Pre-Entry Awareness Training (PEAT); courses to support you with passing the licensing laws examination; how to manage a cellar so that you can maintain consistent quality and how to provide excellent customer service and increase revenue.

Unique to Greene King, we offer our Pub Power Welcome programme – a three-day course based at our HQ in Bury St Edmunds – which is designed to set you up for success before you take over your pub.

And once you’re in your pub, the training doesn’t stop there. You will always be encouraged to further your knowledge, to update your skills and learn new tricks and tips to ensure you are retaining a competitive advantage. For example, we’ve introduced a digital marketing course to help licensees master social media and online marketing. While many of the younger licensees are naturally adept at these activities, and established licensees recognise that they need to embrace these changes if they want to keep attracting customers to their pub.

Who is on hand to help me?

Our Business Development Managers (BDM’s) provide support on an on-going basis to all our licensees. They’re not there to run your business for you, but they are a supportive shoulder to lean on, a first point of contact with any queries or concerns, providing a fantastic sounding board.

Many of the Greene King BDM’s have run their own pubs and they all know the industry inside out. They can advise on all aspects of running a pub, whether it’s relating to marketing initiatives, pub maintenance issues or simply sharing what’s working for other pubs within their areas.

Are any of my current skills relevant to running a pub?

You will undoubtedly possess skills that are transferable to running a pub. For example, if you are a chef or professional caterer, then you will already have the knowledge and qualifications to run a kitchen and deliver good customer service.

Any role that already requires customer interaction will demonstrate that you have customer service skills and can handle those situations. Managing a team and running a business whilst maximising sales are common skills across many industries and translate very well into running your own pub too.

However, with that in mind, not all pubs may be suitable for a first-time operator with minimal hospitality skills – so it’s important to ensure you are paired with a pub that’s a good match for you. For example, a heavily food-led pub would need someone with catering experience, but a drink-led, community based pub could be more suitable for a first-timer with limited previous experience.

A man holding a pint of beer

So, what's really needed?

Whilst experience is great and not to be undermined, what’s really important is enthusiasm, a willingness to work hard and having the entrepreneurial instinct to make running a business a success.

Having the right personality and being prepared to work hard is much more important than having run a pub in the past. Someone who is willing to be flexible, versatile and open to ideas could well be much more successful as a modern pub landlord than someone who may have worked in a pub but has preconceived ideas and is not willing to move with the times.

Greene King has worked with enthusiastic, ambitious people from all walks of life to develop extremely viable and successful businesses. What’s important is that you want to learn, acquiring the skills necessary to running a modern pub, and possess the desire to succeed.

Talk to Greene King and discuss your plans and ideas – with the aid of our BDMs, they could easily become reality.