The news that The Mons pub is likely to be sold to McDonald’s has been met with widespread consternation.
The pub, located at the junction of Breeze Hill and Southport Road in Bootle, closed its doors for good last month. It was part of Mitchells & Butlers’ Stonehouse Pizza & Carvery chain, but its parent company decided to sell the site. From 1966 it functioned as a pub.
A spokesman for Mitchells & Butlers told the ECHO on July 3: “We are constantly reviewing our properties to ensure we are always getting the best returns from each of our assets and that we are driving innovation across our brands to continue to deliver shareholder value Following the approach, we have decided Mons Bootle to sell.”
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The ECHO understands a deal to sell the site to McDonald’s is nearing completion and the pub will be one of the chain’s fast food restaurants. When contacted by the ECHO for comment, a McDonald’s spokesman said: “We are always looking for suitable sites and are currently exploring a number of opportunities in the wider area.”
ECHO readers were generally unimpressed by the announcement. Some had fond memories of the pub stretching back decades.
Karen Beckett wrote on Facebook: “I met my husband there in July 1974, we’ll be married 50 years next year so I’m sad to see it go.”
Michael Keough added: “I used to go there a lot when I worked at Skelly’s Ford World Bootle [in] ’76.”
There was general disappointment at the prospect of another McDonald’s opening in the area.
Lisa Gallagher said: “There are about five Maccies in the area within about a mile of each other, we def don’t need another one! A nice restaurant would be better.”
Stacey Bridge-Tucker agreed. She said: “They’re hardly edible on this side of Walton/Bootle so it’s closed and it’s becoming another Maccie when there are loads of them around here.”
Many readers have expressed concern about the potential impact of McDonald’s on traffic in this part of Bootle.
Justine O said: “Traffic is going to be worse than ever, how ridiculous. There’s Rice Lane and Walton County Road and Queens Drive, move on already.”
Amanda Hoose said: “I dread to think how it’s going to affect the intersection there. It’s busy and chaotic.”
On the ECHO website, Teri69 added: “We don’t need the extra traffic on this nightmare junction! I’ve also watched many near misses at rush hour. Has anyone thought of that?”
However, there were a few readers who supported the idea, including Donna Lewis, who argued that a McDonald’s on the site would be “better than empty buildings”. She added: “They can only rent to people who want to, obviously no other business has done that unfortunately.”
Writing on the ECHO website, another reader defended the fast food chain, saying McDonald’s was doing more than most companies to help young people. Birder2629 said: “Maccies get a bad press BUT they are a fantastic company getting young people into the workplace. Without them many young people wouldn’t have a chance at work or training.”
The future of Mons as a pub has been the subject of a number of rumors in recent days. The ECHO has received a number of reports suggesting it will be sold to McDonald’s, with posts on Bootle-based Facebook groups making the same suggestion.
The pub, which takes its name from Bootle’s sister town in Belgium, Mons, first opened in 1966 as part of the Walker brewery chain. A flyer for its opening read: “Enjoy the continental atmosphere of the Belfry Bar and Lumecon Lounge. The Hainaut Banqueting Suite with sprung dance floor and cocktail bar is available for private events.”
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