Mr. Pickwick Pub

What Mr. Pickwick Pub does

Mr. Pickwick Pub is a chain of seven traditional British and Irish pubs operating across the German-speaking regions of Switzerland, including Aarau, Baden, Basel, Bern, Luzern, Zug, and the Oliver Twist Pub in Zurich's old town. Founded in 1970 and operated by Basel-based hospitality group Gastrag AG, the chain is positioned as Switzerland's original and oldest British pub brand, with more than 50 years of continuous operation. The core product is on-premise hospitality: classic British pub food (fish and chips, burgers, daily lunch menus), an extensive draught beer program anchored on Guinness, Fuller's London Pride, and rotating guest ales from British and Irish craft breweries (Salcombe, Loch Ness, Gower, Evan Evans), live sports broadcasting (Premier League, Champions League, Six Nations, F1, FIFA World Cup 2026), and a recurring calendar of themed cultural nights including Robert Burns Night, St. Patrick's Day, St. George's, and St. Andrew's, supported by recurring pub quizzes, karaoke, and live music performances. Adjacent offerings include a Pickwick Club newsletter loyalty program, digital gift vouchers sold through the third-party E-guma platform, and the co-located Hotel Pickwick in Luzern.

The business runs on standard hospitality point-of-sale and reservation tooling rather than any proprietary technology platform. Distribution is primarily physical across the seven owned-and-operated venues, with a secondary online channel for gift vouchers and a Booking.com affiliate integration for hotel referrals. Marketing is community-led and event-driven, leveraging the brand's heritage, a per-location Instagram and Facebook presence, a monthly email newsletter via Brevo, and scheduled themed tastings in partnership with named breweries and entertainment acts. The customer base is segmented across Swiss residents seeking authentic international pub experiences, English-speaking expatriates, sports fans, and tourists in major Swiss cities; there are no enterprise contracts or named-account revenue dependencies.

Mr. Pickwick generates revenue almost entirely through on-premise food and beverage transactions, with online gift voucher sales and newsletter-driven loyalty engagement as smaller ancillary streams. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The chain operates entirely within Switzerland and is privately held under Gastrag AG, alongside other hospitality concepts within the group (Da Roberto, da Ernesto, Hotel California, Stadtcasino restaurants, Mister Wong, Papa Joes). There are no public funding rounds, valuation events, or disclosed financial figures.

Name

Mr. Pickwick Pub

Legal name

Gastrag AG

Website

https://pickwick.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mr. Pickwick Pub operates Switzerland's oldest British pub chain, running seven venues across German-speaking Switzerland that serve classic pub food, British and Irish beers, live sports broadcasts, and themed cultural events to Swiss residents, expatriates, sports fans, and tourists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pub and Bar Services

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Pubs & Gastropubs (THAFAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG), Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE)

Keywords

• British pub chain
• Pub food service
• Craft beer selection
• Sports bar viewing
• Pub events programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Basel

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: Primary revenue from selling food, beer, spirits, wines, and non-alcoholic beverages across 7 pub locations in Switzerland. Offers classic British pub fare including fish and chips, burgers, and daily lunch menus. Beer selection includes British and Irish ales on tap, stouts, ciders, and rotating guest beers.
2. Gift Vouchers: Online sale of gift vouchers through a third-party platform (e-guma). Vouchers are available for purchase on the website and serve as both a revenue stream and customer acquisition channel.
3. Loyalty Program (Pickwick Club): Monthly newsletter-based loyalty program offering special promotions and offers to members. Serves as a customer retention mechanism while generating email contact data for targeted marketing campaigns.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Mr. Pickwick Pub operates a chain of seven traditional British and Irish pubs across German-speaking Switzerland, serving classic pub food, a wide selection of British and Irish beers on tap with rotating guest beers, live sports broadcasts, and cultural events such as pub quizzes, karaoke, and themed nights. The chain includes the Oliver Twist Pub in Zurich and is supplemented by online gift voucher sales, a loyalty newsletter program, and Hotel Pickwick accommodation in Luzern.

Product overview

Mr. Pickwick Pub is a chain of traditional British/Irish pubs operating seven locations across Switzerland (Aarau, Baden, Basel, Bern, Luzern, Zug, and Oliver Twist in Zurich). The core offering centers on authentic British pub culture, combining a wide selection of beers on tap (including rotating guest beers from UK breweries), classic pub food, live sports broadcasts, and cultural events. The business operates as a unified brand with the Oliver Twist Pub in Zurich as part of the same family. Supplementary offerings include gift vouchers sold through an online portal, a Pickwick Club loyalty program with monthly offers, and Hotel Pickwick accommodation in Luzern. All venues serve as community gathering spaces for both Swiss locals and international expats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pickwick Club: Customer loyalty program offering monthly special offers and newsletter subscriptions for loyal customers.

Products and services

• Mr. Pickwick Pub chain (seven British/Irish pub locations) A chain of traditional British and Irish pubs across seven locations in Switzerland (Aarau, Baden, Basel, Bern, Luzern, Zug, and Oliver Twist in Zurich) offering classic pub food, beers on tap, live sports broadcasts, and cultural events for Swiss residents, expatriates, and sports fans.
• Oliver Twist Pub (Zurich) Zurich's oldest pub located in the old town, offering British pub culture with traditional drinks, food, sports viewing, and live entertainment as part of the Mr. Pickwick Pub family.
• Beer Selection Extensive selection of British and Irish beers on tap, including Guinness, Fuller's London Pride, Hop House 13 Lager, rotating guest beers from UK breweries such as Salcombe Brewery and Hobsons Brewery, and ciders such as Magners.
• Pub Food Menu Classic British pub food including gourmet burgers, homemade fish and chips, hot snacks, and daily lunch menus available across all Mr. Pickwick Pub locations.
• Sports Broadcasting Live sports viewing across all pubs featuring Premier League football, FA Cup, Champions League, Europa League, Guinness Six Nations, Rugby Championship, international rugby, F1 Grand Prix, and FIFA World Cup events.
• Pub Events and Themed Nights Annual cultural events including Robert Burns Night (January), St. Patrick's Day (March), St. George's Beer & Song (April), Beer & Song II (September), St. Andrew's Night (November), Christmas celebrations, Halloween, pub quizzes, karaoke, and live music performances.
• Gift Vouchers Digital gift vouchers available for purchase online through the e-guma platform, valid for redemption across all Mr. Pickwick Pub locations.
• Pickwick Club (Loyalty Newsletter) Free loyalty program providing monthly special offers and newsletter updates to members, offering exclusive deals and event information distributed via Brevo email.
• Hotel Pickwick (Luzern) Accommodation service located in the same building as Mr. Pickwick Pub Luzern, offering rooms in the heart of Luzern's old town near the chapel bridge.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Loch Ness Brewing CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner brewery for Beer & Song II event in September 2026. Provided award-winning beers including Darkness (stout), Hoppyness (USA hop ale), Lochness (wheat beer), Saaziness (lager), and Wilderness (dark ale) for tasting events across all pub locations.
• Evan Evans BreweryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWelsh brewery partner for St. George's Beer & Song event. Provided award-winning ales including Sea Scape (golden ale), CWRW (flagship ale), Warrior (premium ale), Perfect Porter (dark ale), and Stack Rock (golden ale) for tasting events.
• The Whisky ExperienceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for malt whisky tasting sessions at Robert Burns Night events. Provides whisky expertise and tasting selections for the Scottish cultural celebration.
• Booking.comminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliate partner program participant. Website uses Booking.com affiliate links for hotel bookings, earning commission on qualified bookings made through the site.
• Gower BreweryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured alongside Loch Ness Brewing Company in Beer & Song II event materials. British brewery providing craft beers for tasting events.
• Risky WhiskyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLive music performers at Robert Burns Night events. Provides poetry and live music entertainment for the Scottish cultural celebration.
• Neon DuominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLive music performers at St. George's Beer & Song events. Provides entertainment for the English cultural celebration.
• Paul & AttilaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLive music duo performing at Beer & Song II events across all pub locations. Provides evening entertainment following beer tasting sessions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Greene King: One of the UK's leading pub retailers and brewers, with a large estate of managed and tenanted pubs, food-led formats, and sports broadcasting. Comparable in operating a multi-site traditional pub chain anchored on British ale and pub food.
• Fuller, Smith & Turner: Historic London-based brewery and pub operator (producer of London Pride, a beer Mr. Pickwick features). Comparable as a heritage British pub-and-brewery brand emphasizing traditional ales, food, and event-driven pub culture.
• BrewDog: International craft beer bar and brewery chain with strong UK roots, known for rotating guest beers, themed events, and food offerings. Comparable in emphasizing craft beer curation, event programming, and brand-driven pub culture.
• Mitchells & Butlers: UK pub operator running thousands of pubs under brands like All Bar One, Harvester, and Sizzling Pubs. Comparable as a large-scale, multi-format traditional pub chain with a focus on food, beverage, and event-driven traffic.
• Young's (Nightcap plc): London-focused pub operator and brewer (now part of Nightcap) with a portfolio of traditional and gastropubs. Comparable heritage positioning, premium British ale selection, and event-led pub culture.
• Paddy O'Brian's Irish Pub: Irish pub chain operating across Switzerland with similar Anglophone-themed pub offerings, traditional food, and a focus on expat and tourist traffic. Directly comparable niche (Irish pub culture) and footprint (Swiss multi-city) to Mr. Pickwick.

Emerging players

• Hard Rock Cafe: Global themed restaurant chain with a strong heritage (founded 1971) centered on music memorabilia, classic American food, and a destination dining experience. Comparable in operating a multi-location, experience-driven themed restaurant/pub concept with a strong brand identity.

Broad incumbents

• Wetherspoons (JD Wetherspoon): UK's largest pub chain operating traditional high-street pubs with food, sports broadcasting, and themed events. Not in Switzerland but provides the dominant scale benchmark for pub chains with British cultural positioning.
• Marché (Transgourmet/Mövenpick): Large Swiss foodservice and restaurant chain operating market-style restaurants across the country. Comparable as a multi-location Swiss-based hospitality brand but with broader food-market positioning rather than British pub niche.

Others

• The Whisky Experience: Swiss-based whisky tasting and experience partner of Mr. Pickwick for Robert Burns Night and whisky events. Comparable as a thematic event partner in the Anglophile/Swiss hospitality ecosystem rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/olivertwistpubzurich
• Instagraminstagram.com/oliver_twist_pub_zuerich
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mr.-pickwick-pub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mr. Pickwick Pub