Greene King has marked a significant milestone in its franchising push, confirming it now operates 100 franchise pubs through its Greene King Pub Partners division, just over four years after launching the model.
The business introduced its first franchise concept, Hive Pubs, in late 2021, followed by Nest Pubs in 2024. Since then, the format has gathered pace, and Greene King is positioning franchising as a growing strand alongside its established leased and tenanted estate.
That momentum was most visible in 2025, when Greene King Pub Partners opened 30 new franchise pubs. The year also saw the group take the franchise offer into Scotland for the first time using the Belhaven brand, with the opening of The Tarbet in Edinburgh.
With 100 sites now in place, Greene King has confirmed it intends to keep the expansion going through 2026, with a further 30 openings planned across Hive Pubs and Nest Pubs. For the first time, that pipeline will include Wales, as well as a move into the South West of England, extending the franchise footprint into new territory, and the operator is continuing to pitch the model at experienced pub managers and operators looking to step into running their own business within an established framework.
Penelope Bruce, pub partners franchise operations director at Greene King, said, “We are over the moon to have hit the magic number of 100 franchise pubs. Just over four years on from launching our very first Hive Pub, our franchise offer continues to grow. After expanding into Scotland for the first time, we have plans to launch in Wales in 2026 as we open 30 more franchise pubs.
“We continue to see lots of interest in our pub franchise agreements from experienced pub managers looking to take the step up and run their own pub business and are actively seeking applicants to run the pubs in our pipeline.”
Dan Robinson, managing director of Greene King Pub Partners, added, “We are delighted with the ongoing growth of our franchise business, which continues to complement our very successful leased and tenanted pub business.”
Picture: The Tarbet