05-05-2025
'Fantastic response' six months after Killie pub reopens following £400k refurb
The Howard Arms in Kilmarnock reopened recently after a joint refurbishment by Star Pubs and new licensee Rick Houston.
A long-term closed Ayrshire pub has reopened after a major investment worth almost £400,000.
The Howard Arms in Kilmarnock has welcomed customers back for the first time in November 2024 after being closed for five years.
A familiar sight in the town's Glencairn Square, the popular pub was previously a destination for football supporters ahead of Kilmarnock games and was famously decked in blue and white stripes in 1997 as Killie won the Scottish Cup.
Star Pubs and new licensee Rick Houston have invested £395,000 into the venue to give it a new lease of life and transformed it into a "top-notch dog-friendly pub complete with a revamped function room and a great garden with its own outdoor bar".
The interior has been completely refurbished with a new kitchen and function room - the Killie Room - ready to welcome back customers with 15 new jobs created.
It now offers an extensive menu of freshly prepared homemade contemporary pub classics – including hand-stretched Neapolitan pizzas – and a wide choice of drinks spanning cocktails, barista-quality coffee and craft beers.
Rick, who also runs The Cartvale at Busby, said: 'The Howard Arms is an iconic Kilmarnock pub. There's a lot of love for it in the town and it had been much missed.
'We've had a fantastic response to the reopening. People of all ages are enjoying the pub for a whole host of occasions from business meetings and afternoon coffees to nights out and Sunday roasts.
'Our function room – the Killie Room – is taking off, people love the party menu and are booking it for all kinds of events and celebrations.
'Having been closed for five years, the pub needed a complete relaunch to get it back on its feet. A big investment was essential – a lick of paint wouldn't have cut it.'
Star Pubs, a division of Heineken UK, has spent £1.28m reopening four long-term closed Scottish pubs, including the Howard Arms, in the last six months.
A further £4.5m is earmarked for pubs in Scotland which will result in an estimated 150 new jobs.
