RCS - Loungers PLC - Loungers roll-out continues with 4 new sites

LoungersAnnouncement

13/11/2023 07:00

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RNS Number : 1535T  Loungers PLC  13 November 2023

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 200(th) 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 36(th) 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
(https://vimeo.com/866790268/3d75474ae0?share=copy)

 

For further information please contact:

 

 Powerscourt (Financial Public Relations)       Tel: +44 (0) 20 7250 1446

 Rob Greening / Nick Hayns / Elizabeth Kittle

 

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.

 

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