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Our tenants are the people who bring our businesses to life.
We work hard to build lasting relationships with them based on shared values, mutual trust and a special kind of respect. One of our proudest stats is that 85% of our tenants have renewed their lease at least once with us.
We work hard to build lasting relationships with them based on shared values, mutual trust and a special kind of respect. One of our proudest stats is that 85% of our tenants have renewed their lease at least once with us.
Want to read a little more?
Click the titles below to read our tenant testimonials.
A pair of young bartenders with ideas that far outpaced their budget, Richard and David Haigh had comfortably spent the last decade working their way through just about every type of venue imaginable in the city centre of Edinburgh before they decided that they wanted to do things their own way.
They found a site. The only problem? ‘Trouble’ was this places middle name.
17 Albert Place had been through many incarnations and reinventions over the last two decades, each more troublesome to the local licensing board than the last. It was the kind of place you crossed the road to avoid. The kind of place where a request for a bowl of olives would be met with a blank stare and, if you were lucky, the chance to leave with your teeth still comfortably resting in your mouth.
Leith was changing though. Young professionals and students were flocking to the area and they wanted more than this from their watering holes. Richard and David saw the sites potential and transformed it from a dark and foreboding hole in the wall to a bright and stylish cocktail bar. Getting rid of the old regulars took a little time but soon, cautiously at first, locals began to venture into their well-lit, oak interior to find a buffet of speakeasy cocktails and delicious burgers waiting for them. They kept coming back.
The only problem the boys have now is deciding where to open their next one.
The Avenue opened in 2013 with the vision of bringing a city centre vibe to a local bar. The venue had several names and operators over the previous few years with little success. I live and own a children’s soft play area locally and felt there was a need for a family and female friendly bar.
We concentrated on providing fresh, quality food and premium drinks offer. We put an emphasis on wine and cocktails to appeal to females as the only other bars in the area are male orientated focussing on sport.
With food sales continually growing, we took the decision to convert what was previously a function room, into a restaurant to create a more suitable dining space. This has proved to be a huge success and increased sales by around 40%. This investment was made easier by the help of Iona, who helped with everything from design, drawings, upfront costs and providing the skilled workers to ensure work was completed to high standard.
I would say the key to our success has been a combination of hard work, a dedicated team, good local knowledge and continually striving to improve standards.
Here at Iona, we have invested more in refurbishment and redevelopment across all areas of Scotland that almost any other independent pub leasing company. We buy in to your story, and we back your success. Have a look below at a before and after of some of our latest developments- they are some of our proudest partnerships.
Taken over by the tenant when it was known as a young crowds weekend boozer, this refurbishment was carried out over two stages. The first focused on the underused rear of the venue, improving the décor, furnishings and lighting to a standard now able to serve food and cater for small functions or gatherings. The next stage was to improve the bar and dining area at the front of the venue as well as the external signage to now complimented the standard of refurbishment carried out in the rear but to most importantly, reflect the quality of service and experience customers were now accustomed to when they visited The Avenue.
Heralded as the first investment of its kind in Govan, the long-term closed Gazelle underwent a completed transformation at the tail end of 2015 to become what is now known as The Amethyst. Walls were knocked down to create one large trading area, windows were dropped to allow in natural light for the first time, booth seating was installed and a small kitchen capable of a producing a full menu built in what was possibly Iona Pub’s most ambitious refurbishment to date. Looking to attract a more premium clientele within the area, the tenant now regularly hosts sponsored quiz nights, live music weekends, shows various live sport and promotes special menu nights – all within a previously classed ‘dead’ pub.
Similar to The Amethyst, this venue has its best days behind it and was being overtaken by similar pubs around it. An investment was agreed with a new tenant to begin at the end of May and by mid-June Maryhill was enjoying its first taste of freshly made cocktails, a host of premium Scottish spirits and a brand new function area to enjoy any and all special occasions.
Similar to The Amethyst, this venue has its best days behind it and was being overtaken by similar pubs around it. An investment was agreed with a new tenant to begin at the end of May and by mid-June Maryhill was enjoying its first taste of freshly made cocktails, a host of premium Scottish spirits and a brand new function area to enjoy any and all special occasions.