A pizza restaurant and bar is due to open this week after undergoing a major refurbishment under new ownership.

Owner Declan Perkins is due to open Luppolo in a launch party on Thursday evening in High Street, Wanstead.

The former site of the sports bar, Bar Room Bar, has been completely transformed with all new furniture including two new “community” benches and new decor.

Mr Perkins already owns the Lauriston pizza bar in Hackney and pubs the Hanbury Arms and the Regent, both in Islington.

Luppolo will sell Hackney-based Climpson & Sons coffee from 10am on Friday, then being open for pizza and drinks from 12pm to 10pm.

He said: “We are hoping to bring our reputation and experience to this site because this place really needed some help.

“The sports bar didn’t work, it was dark and dingy and just wasn’t nice at all to be honest.

“We have taken away the sport and we are focusing on making it welcoming and a place for the community to meet and interact.

Luppolo is the Italian word for hops and the venue is going full-out on the theme with over 50 different bottles of beer to be available and 12 more on tap at the bar.

The bar will also sell its own Luppolo Pale Ale, made by Hackney brewery, and Wanstead-based Hawkes ginger beer.

Mr Perkins lives in Hackney but chose the site due to his links with the area and the high street.

He said: “I used to go to Trinity Catholic High School in Woodford Green so I grew up going to the high street in Wanstead and have a lot of friends who live around here.

“I have spent a lot of time in the high street in Wanstead and it is a really nice place, it is an exciting place to be with another bar Manor House also just opened across the road.

“It is possible that we could expand to Woodford too but we are focused on Wanstead first.”

The launch party, with free pizza and drinks, will take place from 6.30pm on Thursday.