Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake’s T-Squared Social got the green light to transform St Andrews’ New Picture House Cinema into a sports bar.
They announced their plans in October 2023, just weeks after opening their first bar in Manhattan.
The new venue will be called T-Squared Social Sports Bar and will have golf simulators, duckpin bowling, darts, and big TVs for watching sports.
Plans for the Venue
According to their website, they will keep two of the three cinema screens so movies can still be shown. Fife Council approved the plan and said it would protect the area’s character.
However, not everyone is happy about this change. A petition to save the New Picture House got over 12,000 signatures. Johann Curry-Machado from St Andrews University said that turning it into a sports bar would harm the town’s identity.
Fans might think this is a bold move by Woods and Timberlake.
Neil Dobson from the St Andrews Community Council also opposed it. He told The Courier that it’s disrespectful to turn an iconic building into an American-style bar filled with golfers.
But on another note… The current cinema owners supported the change because they were struggling with low attendance and couldn’t keep running as a standalone cinema. They believe this new plan will bring more entertainment options while keeping some movie screenings alive.
Christopher Anand from T-Squared Social expressed excitement about receiving planning permission. He mentioned they listened to residents’ concerns and decided to keep more screens than initially planned.
The venue aims to open in Spring 2025 with work starting later this year and promises around 45-50 full-time jobs once operational.
What do you think? Is this a good idea or not?
