Former Liverpool Hooters Site to Become Tavern Social 2026

Key Points

• Tavern Social Liverpool is set to open at New Zealand House, 18 Water Street, in Liverpool city centre.
• The new venue will take over the ground-floor premises previously occupied by Hooters Liverpool.
• The Tavern Co, which has operated on Smithdown Road for more than 30 years, is behind the new city-centre venue.
• The Liverpool Echo reported that Tavern Social is due to open in less than a month.
• Earlier announcements said the venue would open in September 2026, but no specific public opening date had been confirmed.
• Tavern Social is expected to serve breakfast and brunch during the day, with hearty food, craft beer and live sport planned for the evening.
• The Water Street venue is expected to have around 200 covers.
• The Tavern Co has been named the home of the UK’s Best Breakfast twice, according to The Guide Liverpool.
• Hooters Liverpool operated at New Zealand House from November 2022 until it closed in January 2026.

Liverpool (Liverpool standard) August 28, 2026 – A new city-centre venue from the team behind Smithdown Road favourite The Tavern Co is set to open at the former Hooters premises on Water Street in less than a month, according to the Liverpool Echo. The business, named Tavern Social, will take over the prominent ground-floor unit in New Zealand House, 18 Water Street, following the closure of Hooters Liverpool earlier this year.

The move will bring The Tavern Co’s established breakfast and brunch offer from south Liverpool into the city centre, while the new venue is also expected to operate as a social space for food, drinks and live sport later in the day. Earlier coverage by The Guide Liverpool said Tavern Social was planned for a September 2026 launch, with an official opening date to be announced through the business’s social-media channels.

When will Tavern Social Liverpool open on Water Street?

Tavern Social Liverpool is expected to open in September 2026, with the Liverpool Echo reporting that the Water Street venture will begin trading in less than a month. The information available does not set out a confirmed public opening day.

The Guide Liverpool, in an earlier announcement, reported that the new city-centre site would open in September and said the business intended to reveal its official opening date alongside previews of the redesigned interior.

Prospective customers should check Tavern Social’s official channels before making a special journey, particularly as fit-out, licensing, staffing and final operational preparations can affect hospitality opening schedules.

The venue is being created in New Zealand House, a well-known building on Water Street in Liverpool city centre. The ground-floor site has accommodated several hospitality businesses over the years and most recently housed Hooters Liverpool.

What will Tavern Social Liverpool offer customers?

Tavern Social is expected to combine the food associated with The Tavern Co’s Smithdown Road venue with a broader city-centre hospitality offer. The Guide Liverpool reported that diners can expect the brand’s large breakfast and brunch menus during the day, before the venue shifts towards an evening social setting.

The publication said the new site is planned to include:

• Breakfast and brunch dishes associated with The Tavern Co brand.
• Full English breakfast and American-style morning options.
• Hearty food dishes for later-day customers.
• Craft beer.
• Live sport viewing.
• Approximately 200 covers.

According to The Guide Liverpool, the intention is to retain the familiar and community-focused character associated with the original Smithdown Road business while adapting it for a larger, more central location. The publication described Tavern Social as a high-energy, modern social space which would operate from breakfast service through to evening food, drink and sport.

A spokesperson for Tavern Social said:

“For over three decades, The Tavern Co has been a staple of Liverpool’s food scene on Smithdown Road, famous for bringing people together. Expanding into Liverpool city centre this summer is a massive milestone for us.”

The spokesperson added:

“We’ve been looking for the perfect spot to bring that unique Tavern magic closer to the heart of the city, and we can’t wait to welcome both our loyal regulars and a whole new crowd of city centre diners.”

The statement outlines the business’s intention to appeal both to existing Tavern Co customers travelling from the Smithdown Road area and to office workers, residents, visitors and sports viewers in Liverpool city centre.

Why is The Tavern Co expanding into Liverpool city centre?

The Tavern Co is already an established independent hospitality name on Smithdown Road. The Guide Liverpool reported that it has been part of Liverpool’s independent food scene for more than three decades and has twice been named the home of the UK’s Best Breakfast for its full English breakfasts and American-style morning dishes.

The Liverpool Echo previously reported that posters at the Water Street venue identified the incoming operator as Tavern Co Social and promoted a breakfast-and-brunch-focused offer. That report noted that the Smithdown Road business had been recognised twice for its full English breakfast.

The expansion provides the company with a second Liverpool location and places the brand within the commercial district around Water Street. This area is close to the waterfront, the Pier Head, offices, hotels, visitor attractions and the city’s retail and nightlife districts.

The Guide Liverpool said the expansion was a major step for the brand under its newer ownership group, which had invested in modernising and securing the future of the Smithdown Road flagship since 2023.

No detailed menu, opening hours, booking arrangements or pricing structure had been specified in the information available. Those details may be released nearer to the opening.

What happened to Hooters Liverpool at New Zealand House?

Tavern Social will occupy the site previously used by Hooters Liverpool, the American restaurant and sports-bar franchise which opened at New Zealand House in November 2022. The Liverpool Echo reported at the time that the Water Street branch was described as the largest Hooters restaurant globally.

Hooters Liverpool’s director, Barry Morris, confirmed to the Liverpool Echo in December 2025 that the venue would close at the start of 2026. Mr Morris said the franchise would cease operations on Sunday, January 11, and that another business would take its place during 2026.

The Echo reported that the location had faced opposition and challenges since its opening. The subsequent decision to bring Tavern Social to the building represents the next commercial use for the prominent hospitality site.

New Zealand House has a long association with Liverpool’s hospitality and nightlife scene. Before Hooters, the Water Street venue was home to Newz Bar, while the building has undergone several changes of operator and concept across the years.

Background: What is the history of the New Zealand House site?

New Zealand House at 18 Water Street is a substantial city-centre building whose ground-floor space has hosted a succession of hospitality venues. Its location places it within Liverpool’s central business and visitor area, near the waterfront and within walking distance of major transport, retail and leisure destinations.

Hooters Liverpool opened there on Monday, November 21, 2022, after receiving a licence earlier that year. The branch was promoted as the largest Hooters site in the world, but its arrival prompted public debate and opposition from some people in the city.

In December 2025, Barry Morris told the Liverpool Echo that Hooters Liverpool would close on January 11, 2026. He said a different business would replace it during the year.

By July 2026, reports identified The Tavern Co as the incoming operator. The Guide Liverpool said the company planned to open Tavern Social during September, retaining a food-led daytime offer while adding evening hospitality and live sport.

The Liverpool Echo’s later report that the opening is now less than a month away indicates that the premises are moving closer to reopening after the former Hooters operation ended.

Prediction: How could Tavern Social affect Liverpool customers?

For Liverpool city-centre customers, Tavern Social’s arrival is likely to add another all-day food-and-drink option in the Water Street area. The planned combination of breakfast, brunch, evening meals, craft beer and live sport could give office workers a nearby daytime venue, visitors another central dining option and sports fans a place to watch events.

For regular customers of the Smithdown Road Tavern Co, the second site could make the brand’s breakfast-and-brunch menu more accessible from the city centre. However, the Water Street operation is presented as a separate social-focused venue, so its atmosphere, menu range and trading pattern may differ from the original Smithdown Road location.

For nearby businesses and the wider Water Street hospitality area, reopening a large former bar and restaurant unit may increase daytime and evening footfall once the venue begins trading. The degree of that effect will depend on the final opening date, customer response, operating hours and the venue’s ability to establish itself in a competitive city-centre market.