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POKEMON DOUGH

Restaurants and pubs pay to become homes for Pokemon Go monsters to attract gaming customers

Businesses seeing huge returns by paying to fill their premises with Pokemon characters

Pokemon Go game at Sydney Opera House in Sydney, New South Wales

PUBS and restaurants are cashing in on the Pokemon Go craze by paying to become destinations in the game.

The trade, called Pokemonomics, is bringing them thousands of pounds of extra profits.

Go figure ... over 5 million Brits have downloaded the game, making it a lucrative opportunity for sponsors
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Go figure ... over 5 million Brits have downloaded the game, making it a lucrative opportunity for sponsorsCredit: Reuters

Maxwell’s Bar & Grill was quick to use the free app — where players hunt in real-life places for virtual monsters — to attract new customers.

Staff at the restaurant in Covent Garden, central London, are spending up to £100 a day on dropping “lures” to fill the location with the monsters.

Reality check ... Pokemon Go players search to catch monsters that appear on their screen
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Reality check ... Pokemon Go players search to catch monsters that appear on their screenCredit: Getty Images

For every £1 invested in the app, Maxwell’s has seen a return of £44.

Head of marketing Anthony Knight said revenues were up by 26 per cent in a week — with 2,750 additional customers bringing in an extra £70,000.

He said: “Many employers are banning employees from using the game.

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“We are actively encouraging our staff to download the app, engage with customers using the game whilst in the restaurant and have a bit of fun.”

The Oakford Social Club in Reading saw a rise in visitors after advertising it as a Pokemon location.

It's all Go ... Maxwell's Bar & Grill in London says it's making £44 from every £1 it spends on filling the restaurant with digital Pokemon creatures
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It's all Go ... Maxwell's Bar & Grill in London says it's making £44 from every £1 it spends on filling the restaurant with digital Pokemon creaturesCredit: Alamy

The Sun pub in South London boosted customers after advertising the monsters spotted in its beer garden on a chalk board.

The game has had 5million UK downloads so far.

Attracting customers ... McDonald's in Japan has signed a deal with the game's developers to attract more players to its restaurants
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Attracting customers ... McDonald's in Japan has signed a deal with the game's developers to attract more players to its restaurantsCredit: Rex Features

In Japan, where the game launched on Friday, McDonald's signed a lucrative deal to turn all of its 3,000 restaurants in the country into Pokemon hotspots.

Mobile phone business are also set to profit from the craze as players burn through their monthly data allowances.

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