The concept is attributed to publican Martyn Hillier and his pub, The Butchers Arms, in Herne, Kent, England.
Mitchells & Butlers runs around 1,600 managed public house, bars and restaurants throughout the United Kingdom.
Speakeasies largely disappeared after Prohibition was ended in 1933, and the term is now used to describe some retro style bars.
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in most cases, where travelers receive lodging.
The word derives from the Latin taberna whose original meaning was a shed, workshop, stall, or pub.