Union Seeks Main Bar Partnership with JD Wetherspoons

On 31 March, the University of St Andrews Students’ Association made an Instagram post announcing their possible partnership with JD Wetherspoons to create a Union-run Franchise in Main Bar. 

According to the post, the Union has applied for a loan with the University. If the loan is approved, the post outlines the three possible outcomes: the Union will partner with JD Wetherspoon, they will invest in the current spaces to make them more financially sustainable and suitable for student needs, or there is the possibility that Main Bar will be closed.

The Union's latest statement on their website explains if the partnership with JD Wetherspoons goes forward, students and staff will be able to speak directly with the franchise to raise any concerns. 

The space would still remain under Union ownership, and employees will also remain part of the Union team. The latest statement by the Unions states the reason for these upcoming changes, “as an Association, we must make changes. Main Bar has not been developed for over a decade [...] Our current financial position simply isn’t sustainable.”

In December 2025, the Union asked students to complete the Main Bar Survey, asking students what they wanted to see from the venue. In the Union’s latest statement, they stated that they have “analysed an amazing 1,602 responses, and the message from students was clear: affordability, atmosphere, community, and safety are what matter most.”

Third year student Kat Mortimer told The Saint:  “I feel mostly indifferent about the concept of franchising with Spoons. I think the problem a lot of people have is that the Union is the Student Union, so the idea of it changing in any way is making a lot of people feel apprehensive.”

Mortimer added, “We all love pitchers and cheap drinks, but when you think of Spoons you think of broader pub culture and something that isn’t just for students.”  

The concept of a Wetherspoons in St Andrews is not an unfamiliar topic of discussion among students. This can be seen in a post by @standrews.onion, a satirical news account on Instagram with over 5000 followers. The post made on 20 July, 2025 headlines “Andrew Melville Hall To Become Scotland's Largest Wetherspoons.” The Instagram account made another post on 2 December, 2025 (the same time as The Main Bar Survey) with the headline “Union Main Bar To Become Scotland’s Worst (And Smallest) Wetherspoons.” The post raises concerns about Main Bar becoming a Wetherspoons, with the caption stating “this move is threatening a reality in which we see purple-faced old men trying to make their way into Friday Bops [...] Let’s keep the union for students.”

The Saint reached out to the Union for a comment, who responded, stating, “We're proactively exploring a partnership model with JD Wetherspoons that could help us keep prices affordable, improve consistency, and make the space work better year-round.”

The statement continued: “At the heart of this is a simple principle: Main Bar is, and will remain, a student space that belongs to us, with our own staff employed by the Union.”

Even if a partnership goes ahead, the Students’ Association and the team would retain control over what the space stands for and how it feels.”

The Union added, “We’ve applied to the University for a loan to support refurbishment and are expecting to hear back in the next couple of weeks. We’ve also been clear that doing nothing isn’t an option, given the financial pressures we’re facing, but our focus throughout is on protecting jobs, supporting our [sic] student staff included, and keeping Main Bar open and at the centre of student life.” 

The spokesperson also emphasised the importance of student feedback throughout the entire process, as well as providing an estimate for the end of May for the final decision. Finally, the spokesperson encouraged anyone who wants to know more about the progress of Main Bar to go to the All-Student Forum on Tuesday 28 April at 6pm in the Old Union Diner.

Photo by Mary Markis