Loungers signals further expansion with 100th Lounge opening

News
12/04/2018

Business’ growth driven by thriving community led approach

  • Loungers opens 100th Lounge, Sorrento Lounge, in Birmingham
  • Ambitious business plans to invest £10m to open a further 16 Lounges in 2018 as it continues to pursue its expansion strategy across the UK
  • Nick Collins, CEO says company’s pioneering, localised, community-based approach has enabled it to perform well in a challenging market


Loungers, the successful Bristol-based neighbourhood cafe bar operator, today announces the launch of its 100th Lounge. Sorrento Lounge in Moseley, Birmingham, will see Loungers all-day, value for money offer in another individually designed site, delivering the informal ‘home from home’ atmosphere and genuine hospitality the company strives to achieve. There are currently seven other Lounges in Birmingham suburbs demonstrating the appeal and potential scale of the business.


Sorrento Lounge is a landmark opening for the business as it looks to continue its ambitious growth plans over the coming year. The company will open a total of around 21 new neighbourhood café bars this year. Five have already opened in Melton Mowbray, Stockport, Abingdon, Solihull and Ormskirk and others are set to follow in Chorlton, Bicester, Grantham and Warrington.


Loungers have outperformed much of the hospitality sector over recent years delivering rapid growth to a clear strategic plan driven by the business’s core philosophy which encompasses more than just the delivery of delicious food and drinks. Each Lounge is challenged to earn its place on the local high street, embedding itself in the community and providing a focal point for the residents. This broad all-day café-bar offer centred around the community allows the business to pursue a different site selection strategy to other casual dining operators, who tend to cluster around the retail and leisure schemes. The individual design of each site and their quirky interiors has further underpinned Loungers success.


Commenting, Nick Collins, CEO Loungers, said:

“In many respects we don’t approach the Lounges as a 100-site business. Each Lounge is individually named and designed, and managed by teams who feel a sense of ownership and responsibility towards their Lounge. The business has evolved on the strength of the people who work with us and how we have been received in the communities in which we have opened.

Our out-performance is testament to the great contribution from our teams, but we certainly don’t take it for granted. From a single site in the suburbs of Bristol to our 100th Lounge, the core principles of the business have never changed. We will continue to open new sites ensuring that the values that have driven our success to date are not compromised.”


Loungers launched their first sites on city suburban high streets and towns which have high residential densities to provide a place for local people to enjoy themselves on their doorsteps. With the launch of Sorrento Lounge, these high-quality venues now sit at the heart of 100 local communities offering a convenient alternative to travelling into the city centre.


Each Lounge is managed on a local basis and listens to what customers want rather than being prescriptive. Each venue is a local hub supporting charities, local groups, business networking events, sporting teams, students and a whole host of groups from the community. Loungers broad menu changes frequently to reflect shifting consumer trends whilst maintaining a number of firmly established favourites.


Loungers also operates the Cosy Club bar-restaurant brand, opening around four to five units a year. There are 21 Cosy Clubs across the country, operating in larger units and more typically found in city centres and larger market towns.