A Coventry venue has reverted to being a pub under its original name after years as a restaurant.
The Cedars on Barket Butts Lane closed in 2017 and became an Indian restaurant known as the Lion Inn – this too closed in July of this year after ownership said Covid killed the business.
But a businessman whose company owns seven pubs in London and Coventry spotted the venue’s potential, purchased the site and reopened it as a pub under its original moniker.
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Chandan Singh already has The Crown in Foleshill, a Punjabi pub that has gained a stellar reputation for its atmosphere and food since opening in 2024 – he now hopes to repeat the success across the city in Coundon.
The Cedars will operate on the same model as The Crown eventually – it opened serving just drinks last week but will soon have its kitchen up and running serving freshly cooked Indian cuisine.
But Chandan is keen to make it clear The Cedars is a pub first and foremost.
“We love pubs,” he told Coventry Live. “I think pubs are part of the community we want to be a part of that and be a hub for the community.
“Pubs can be a safe space where people go back and talk with the staff and build relationships – pubs are important.”
That spirit will no doubt be helped by the venue reverting back to a name that was known in the city for a hundred years before it closed almost a decade ago.
Chandan said: “We changed the name back to The Cedars because we want to keep the pub feeling – we show all live sports and all major boxing matches.”
The reopening will be welcome news in the area amid several pub closure announcements over the summer – and Chandan is confident he has the recipe for success.
“People say pubs are dying and whatever,” he said. “If you do it right, if you do good fresh food, not reheated, and give a good service you’re consistent with, people don’t mind waiting – you can make it work.
“The area is a really nice too – it’s different to Foleshill, so it’s really a good opportunity for us and really good challenge.”
The venue has undergone an internal refurbishment to make it feel more like a traditional pub, with new carpets, flooring, and a new pool table.
It is already proving a hit with locals, Chandan says.
“Calling it The Cedars seems like a popular decision, the reaction from locals has been really strong. It really feels like we’ve brought it back to life.”
The pub is open now for drinks – it is hoped it will be serving food in around a month or so.
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