Competitive socialising brand Lane7 to roll out six new bowling bars

Competitive socialising brand Lane7 is set to open six more sites across the UK over the next few months, including one featuring a new “self-serve” games concept.

 

Since launching in Newcastle in 2013, Lane7 has opened 20 venues across the UK and Europe, operating sites in London (Victoria and Camden), Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Berlin and Dublin.

 

Now, the bowling bar brand is looking to accelerate growth, with plans for two openings in Newcastle in June and July under its signature Lane7 and newly developed ML7 concepts, the latter being an arcade bar offering the likes of pool and duckpin bowling.

 

Openings will continue into the summer under Lane7’s Gutterball brand, which offer family-friendly bowling alleys. These have been scheduled for Lincoln in July, London’s Ealing Broadway in August and Edinburgh in September.

 

In early 2026, Leeds is also set to receive its first Lane7.

 

The expansion drive comes amid a boom in competitive socialising, with Lane7 attributing its core demographic to “18 to 35-year-olds looking for something a bit different on a night out”, as well as post-work groups seeking a less typically corporate venue.

 

Commenting on the nature of the roll-out, Gavin Hughes, managing director of Lane7, told The Caterer: “It’s all about the character of the location. Some cities are primed for the full-throttle Lane7 experience. Others suit something more focused – like Gutterball, which leans more family-friendly. We look at the space, the audience and what that location wants but doesn’t have yet – then we build accordingly. We don’t just bolt a game onto a bar.”

 

He pointed out Lane7 is “always” on the hunt for new concepts to add to its existing roster, which includes Playground augmented games, developed in partnership with multimedia studio Moment Factory, as well as karaoke, bowling and shuffleboard.

 

He added the consecutive launches in Newcastle would be a “statement” move, enabling the brand to “double down on a city that helped define us”.