Market Place partners with new competitive socialising concept

Rocket Room, a new competitive socialising concept, is to open next month within Market Place Food Hall in London’s Leicester Square.

Taking over the second floor of the five-storey food hall, which opened in December, the 120-cover Activity Bar will offer its signature selection of games: axe throwing, darts, shuffleboard and beer pong. The space is also available for private hire.

Rocket Room was founded by Mike Pearson of Elangeni Hospitality, the group behind Mexican restaurants Benito’s and boardgame café Slice & Dice.

He has confirmed a pipeline of 15 sites over the next two years for Rocket Room, with grander ambitions of reaching 50 locations within five years across the UK and international markets.

Prices at Rocket Room will range from £30 per lane per hour (shuffleboard) to £80 (axe throwing).

Group packages for under 25 guests will start from £35 per person, which includes two hours of gameplay, drinks and a reserved table.

Pearson said: “We have built Rocket Room to sit inside strong hospitality environments and lift performance. It is competitive, social and premium, but it is also commercially focused.

“The format is compact by design. It allows us to deliver a high energy, fully hosted experience while working efficiently within established destinations. Leicester Square is the ideal location to launch the concept.”

Blake Henderson, managing director of Market Place Food Hall Leicester Square, added: “We are proud to partner with Rocket Room, a brand that shares our vision to redefine dining and socialising in Leicester Square. Together, we are delivering something truly unique and immersive, unlike anything currently on offer, and elevating the guest experience to a new level.”

The partnership comes after Henderson told The Caterer of his plans to develop “casual conference spaces” and greater scope for private hire events within his food halls.