"I class it as a family business. We all muck in together to deliver what we need to be delivering and we are all passionate about what we do."
Experienced business owner Michelle Lovell says she loves a challenge, and running three pubs could certainly be described as that. However, as Michelle explains, it's a real family affair when it comes to operating her trio of Leicestershire venues - The Nags Head at Glenfield and The Western and King Richard III in Leicester.
"I class it as a family business," says Michelle. "I have four girls, who all work alongside me and James. We all muck in together to deliver what we need to be delivering. All of us are passionate about what we do."
Michelle's partner James focuses his attention on The Nags Head, whilst also helping out behind the scenes at King Richard III and The Western. Her daughter Freya helps run King Richard III, Shanelle helps to run The Western and Della oversees both King Richard III and The Western, whilst fourth daughter Michaela works part-time at The Nags Head.
Michelle's experience in the pub industry has been gained over a number of years. Having begun as a glass collector when she was 18, she quickly progressed up the hierarchy, and went on to run well-known spots in Leicester including The Litten Tree (which closed in 2008) and Squares.
It was in 2011 that Michelle decided to take the plunge and run her own pub. "I saw the opportunity to run Molly O'Grady's," she recalls. "I thought: 'I'm running pubs for everyone else - I wonder what it would be like to do it for myself?' I approached Everards and that's where my journey with them began."
After Molly O'Grady's closed, Michelle moved to The Barley Mow in Granby Street, where she focused on attracting visiting football fans. “I reached out to all the away sites, and to this day, now, it still does really well from the away fans that come to the Leicester City matches," says Michelle, who opted to take a career break and spend time with her family when the pub was sold.
A year later, she was approached by Everards and offered the opportunity to take on King Richard III. "I went in there three years ago and changed a few things. Food wasn't working there, so I took that out and put on entertainment, and now it's booming.”
Having boosted the fortune of King Richard III, Michelle took on The Western in 2023 and set about making it "the home of Leicester City supporters" due to its proximity to the football ground. She says this has proved to be successful for the pub, which also offers plenty for local residents including open mic nights and popular Northern Soul nights.
It was in 2024 that Michelle was given the chance to take on her third pub, The Nags Head in Glenfield. "I thought ' can we multi-operate? We've got the King Richard and The Western. Are we going to be able to take on the challenge of running The Nags Head as well? Well, here we are!" she laughs.
"I came in and had a look round and saw there was a lot of potential. It's a village pub, so it's about giving the community what they want. Before we moved in, we came and spoke to some of the customers about what they wanted. It was simple things like opening on time and fixing the dryer in the toilets. If you do those things, people know that you've listened to them and that you care. We've also put Sky Sports in for them and added cask ales too."
Customers can also now enjoy food from Reece's Kitchen on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and with the pub's large garden set to receive investment from Everards this year, Michelle is planning to host outdoor live music as part of the pub's line-up of events.
Talking about working with Everards, Michelle says: "They always deliver what you want and there's always people you can reach out to if there's any issues."
With three pubs under her name, it's clear Michelle is passionate about what she does - but what is it she most enjoys about running pubs? "I love coming into somewhere and being able to deliver what the customers want."
As for whether she'd take on a fourth pub, she says: "I never say never. I'm content with the three, but if another one came up, I might consider it. I love a challenge!"
Interested in running a pub? Give us a call 0116 201 4260 or get in touch here.
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