Sean Driscoll says he is excited for the future of The Kings Arms Tavern, in Brentgovel Street, Bury St Edmunds, after makeover

A landlord who completed back-to-back makeovers of two pubs has said he is excited about the future.

Sean Driscoll runs six pubs in Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, with three in Bury St Edmunds, including The Masons Arms, in Whiting Street.

His other two pubs - The Kings Arms Tavern, in Brentgovel Street, and The Westgate, in Guildhall Street - have undergone a ‘mini makeover’.

However, Sean said the projects have not been too stressful.

He said: “Fortunately, as The Westgate finished, this one (The Kings Arms Tavern) started.

“It feels like I’ve been constantly talking to builders and designers, but I’m very happy with the changes.”

The Brentgovel Street pub was the last to be completed, with customers enjoying the new upgrades since mid-October.

Sean said the biggest changes were to the toilets, which were fully refurbished with new floor, wall finishes, lighting and vanity units, as well as upgrades to the garden.

“The toilets were ‘tired’ for lack of a better word,” he said. “We replaced the flooring, and the garden is fully heated now, with new seating and plants. We made it more ‘Instagram-friendly’.”

Other changes included painting the walls both inside and outside as well as tweaking its name from The Kings Arms to the Kings Arms Tavern.

However, the original plans raised concerns with West Suffolk Council, causing delays to the renovation start date.

Sean had hoped the pub would receive its makeover in time for the summer, but this was pushed back when a conservation officer raised concerns about the initial scale of proposed signage outside the pub, including a large coat of arms planned for the gable end.

They said the changes would have been ‘unnecessary and disproportionate detracting from the simplicity of the building’.

The two tone colour scheme would also ‘fail to respect the simplicity of the building’. The plans were later revised with a single colour scheme, a reduction in size and content of the signage and no coat of arms.

Sean said he was pleased with the changes and is excited for the future of the pub, especially at a time when the hospitality sector is under pressure.

He said: “You have to invest to keep people coming back.

“People are loving it, and the biggest comment we are getting is how much nicer the toilets and the garden are.”

The recent makeover of The Westgate pub was covered by SuffolkNews.

Sean took over The Westgate in July and wanted to retain its traditional feel. He fitted the pub with a new pool table and jukebox to boost its atmosphere for the regulars.

Although he runs three pubs in Bury, he said each one has its own unique character - something he was keen to maintain through the makeovers.

“At Masons, we don’t have a TV there, so it’s a really nice traditional offering.

“The Westgate is your local pub with a pool table, and here we have Sky TV, so it’s more sport orientated.

“The three complement each other rather than trying to compete with each other.”

Sean took over The Kings Arms Tavern in July of last year.