Last checked at 13 Nov 2023 07:00
13 November 2023
Loungers plc
("Loungers" or the "Group")
Loungers opens new Lounges in Carlisle, Louth and Hexham, and a Cosy Club in Oxford
Estate now totals 242 sites, and firmly on track for 34 new sites in current financial year
Loungers, a leading operator of all day café/bar/restaurants across the UK under the Lounge, Cosy Club and Brightside brands, is pleased to announce that its accelerated site roll-out plan remains firmly on track, with four further sites opened since it announced its landmark 200th Lounge opening on 13 September 2023.
The three new Lounge sites are Alfredo Lounge (part of the former Eve & Ranshaw department store) in Louth, Lincolnshire, Bordo Lounge (formerly a Top Shop) in Carlisle, and Muro Lounge (formerly an Argos) in Hexham. All three locations evidence Loungers' track record of and ability to breathe new life into the UK's high streets, bringing footfall and jobs and, in particular, rejuvenating former retail sites. The Cosy Club in Oxford brings Loungers to the city of dreaming spires for the first time and is the Group's 36th Cosy Club.
Like all Lounges, the new sites will be a home-from-home for their customers, offering great, freshly cooked food and drink all day, with a real focus on making a positive impact on the local community. Each new Lounge creates 30 new jobs on average, with each opening typically representing an investment of up to £1m into the local high street.
The Oxford Cosy Club is located in the Cheng Yu Tung building - formerly Northgate House - which was opened by Jesus College last year. The interior combines elements of the arts and crafts movement and Victoriana, with nods to Biba-esq styling from the Swinging Sixties. It includes 100 statement light fittings, 206 rolls of wallpaper and plumes of ostrich feathers as part of the furnishings, and boasts two incredible private dining rooms, 'The Treasury' and 'The Mulberry Suite'.
Nick Collins, CEO of Loungers, said:
"Our accelerated site roll-out plan remains firmly on track, and we're delighted with the four new sites that we've opened in the last few weeks. It's particularly pleasing to be increasing our presence in the North through the openings in Carlisle and Hexham, and we see significant potential for more sites in both the North West and the North East.
"It's also great to be finally opening a Cosy Club in Oxford. It's a city that's been on our list for quite some time and we've been really pleased with trade in its first few weeks. Our ambitions for Oxford don't end there and, in time, we see scope for bringing at least four new Lounge sites to the suburbs of the city."
Loungers recently stated its firm belief that there is scope for at least 600 Lounges across the UK, and also announced that it intends to open 34 new sites across its three brands in the current financial year alone.
A 'Day In The Life' video of a Lounge can be found here: https://vimeo.com/866790268/3d75474ae0?share=copy
For further information please contact:
Powerscourt (Financial Public Relations) Rob Greening / Nick Hayns / Elizabeth Kittle
| Tel: +44 (0) 20 7250 1446 |
Notes to Editors
Loungers operates through its three established complementary brands - Lounge, Cosy Club and Brightside - in the UK hospitality sector. A Lounge is a neighbourhood café/bar combining elements of coffee shop culture, the British pub and dining. There are 203 Lounges nationwide. Lounges are principally located in secondary suburban high streets and small town centres. The sites are characterised by informal, unique interiors with an emphasis on a warm, comfortable atmosphere, often described as a "home from home".
Cosy Clubs are more formal bars/restaurants offering reservations and table service but share many similarities with the Lounges in terms of their broad, all-day offering and their focus on hospitality and culture. Cosy Clubs are typically located in city centres and large market towns. Interiors tend to be larger and more theatrical than for a Lounge, and heritage buildings or first-floor spaces are often employed to create a sense of occasion. There are 36 Cosy Clubs nationwide.
Brightside is a roadside dining concept and was launched in November 2022. The first Brightside location opened on the A38, south of Exeter, in February 2023, with the second opening in Saltash near Plymouth in June 2023 and the third in Honiton on the A303 in August 2023.