Cheers! Landmark city pub to reopen; ENTERTAINMENT: 100 new jobs to be created in refurb of famous Kings Head.

Byline: By Jon Griffin

ONE of the West Midlands' best known pubs is being brought back to life - following a pounds 1.3 million refit creating 100 new jobs.

The Kings Head on Hagley Road, Bearwood - a landmark in the region for more than 100 years - is to reopen in December after being closed for around a year.

The site is undergoing a complete refurbishment thanks to the Walsall-based Bar Leisure group, with plans to create a gastro pub with 140 covers. Group commercial controller Andrew Wittich said: "The Kings Head is such a landmark in the Birmingham area - everybody knows the site. Tens of thousands of motorists go past it every day.

"There is a real buzz about the place and we can't wait to get it reopened.

"The plans are for it to be a gastro pub and we will be creating somewhere in the region of 100 plus jobs.

"There's a real history about the place, it dates back to around the 19th century.

"This is not just another cocktail bar in town. We are just pleased to be able to tap into that character. The bar is being completely renovated - it will not be recognised as the old pub that people remember.

It's been stripped out completely and we are now putting it back together."

Mr Wittich said the pub had been closed since the start of 2007 but refurbishment work was now underway.

"The final bill is going to be somewhere in the region of pounds 1.2 million to pounds 1.3 million.

We hope to be open at some stage in December," he added.

Bar Leisure is aiming to open around 30 outlets in total.

CAPTION(S):

ON ITS WAY BACK... the Kings Head, Bearwood.