Loungers to launch roadside restaurant brand in 2023

All-day restaurant group Loungers has launched Brightside, a new roadside restaurant concept that is due to open in February 2023.

The first Brightside will open on the A38, south of Exeter, and will be followed by further sites on the A303 near Honiton and the A38 near Saltash later in the spring.

Loungers said there was scope to develop a "truly national brand" and revealed plans to open mainly on A-roads.

Brightside is designed to offer something different from existing drive-thru and quick-service restaurant (QSR) brands and will target a broad range of customers, including families, locals and UK holidaymakers.

The menu will serve classic ‘comfort food', such as burgers, pizzas and brunch.

In line with Loungers' other brands, which include Lounge and Cosy Club, there will be a focus on all-day dining.

Alex Reilley, founder chairman of Loungers, said: "We've had the itch for a while now to create a roadside restaurant concept that's fit-for-purpose in the twenty-first century.

"For many people, the highlight of childhood road trips in days gone by was a stop at the likes of Little Chef. We believe there is a gap in the market for a fresh concept that gives customers the option to take a proper break and enjoy wholesome food and great hospitality, in a landscape that is currently dominated by drive-thru and QSR formats.

"Brightside will have a contemporary, welcoming, and warm feel, whilst also evoking nostalgia for a time when motoring in the UK was a more exciting experience.

"We believe that Brightside will really shake up what has become an uninspiring sector and that there is potential to roll out Brightside across the UK in the coming years."

Loungers operates 175 Lounges and 35 Cosy Club restaurants across the UK. It opened its 210th store – Barco Lounge in Selby – on 5 November.