Up to 25 more Wetherspoon pubs could open this financial year.
JD Wetherspoon estimates it could open a further five to 10 managed pubs and 10 to 15 franchised sites in the year ending August 1, 2027.
That would be in addition to the six managed pubs and two franchises it has already opened this financial year.
The expansion plans came as the pub group reported an 8.2 per cent rise in like-for-like sales in the 14 weeks to November 1, covering its first quarter and a further week.
Chairman Tim Martin said: “The company has had a good start to the financial year.
“There are still three quarters to go and profit forecasts are very dependent on the level of sales growth.”
The six managed pubs opened so far are at Manchester Airport and Heathrow Airport, and in Crewe in Cheshire, Ferndown in Dorset, Dibden Purlieu in Hampshire and Kempston in Bedfordshire.
Wetherspoon said it had sold one pub during the period and now had 797 trading managed pubs, alongside 25 franchises.
Bar sales rose by 9.4 per cent over the 14 weeks, while food sales increased by 6.8 per cent.
Like-for-like growth slowed to 7.5 per cent in the most recent five weeks, compared with 8.6 per cent in the first nine weeks of the quarter.
Martin said the company was “comfortable” with market expectations once adjusted for the 53-week financial year.
The company put the consensus profit estimate, compiled from seven analysts, at £76.4 million.
In the previous 52-week financial year, pre-tax profit fell 28 per cent to £58.6 million as staff and other costs offset higher sales.
The company also argued that labour cost increases affect pubs more heavily than supermarkets, estimating the labour cost of a pub pint at £1.68 compared with about 15p for a supermarket pint.
Its calculation used an AI-derived estimate of the price of a supermarket pint and wage costs as a percentage of sales.
The group argued that the effect had widened the price gap between pub and supermarket pints and reduced employment.
Its next trading update is expected on January 20, 2027.
