Sixth date announced for reopening of Sunderland Wetherspoon's pub The Cooper Rose - but this time there's a difference

The Cooper Rose on Albion Place will now serve again on Sunday, January 23.

However, the pub’s much anticipated roof terrace is not now expected to be completed until some time in mid-February, but owners JD Wetherspoon say there is “no confirmed date” for this.

Nick Chapman, manager of the Cooper Rose, told the Echo in early December: “We are thrilled with all of our new look pub and upgraded facilities, particularly the new roof garden which will provide a lovely outdoor space for our customers.”

The pub has undergone a full refurbishment including new bar layout with an open kitchen, the removal of the dance floor, new glazed roof light – and the roof garden.

The Echo reported in May 2021 that the bar’s re-fit was scheduled to take around four months, with a reopening on October 25 at a cost of £2million. By October that had been amended to November 16.

The cost of the refurbishment has since been put at £2.2million.

November 16 also passed and Wetherspoon then announced a new date of December 14. However, the company contacted us the the day after they had contacted us, telling us that there had been a mistake.

Wetherspoon sent us an apology and said the information they had given “was written in good faith and contained the correct date, but it was changed today (December 3)”.

A new date of Monday, December 20 was then given. That date also passed and it was confirmed that the reopening would not take place until 2022, later specified as January 25. But now it is to open two days earlier.

The refurbishment is being carried out by Oldham-based construction firm Medlock.

Work is still going on inside the pub, with scaffolding still up at the rear of the building on Derwent Street.

The Echo has asked for the reasons for the delays in the work, but so far no official explanation has been offered. JD Wetherspoon have previously said they will give additional information when they are able to do so.

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