Loungers launches 8th Cosy Club site ahead of more new openings
Café/bar group Loungers has announced a string of new openings beginning with its eighth Cosy Club, in Leicester, set to launch this week.
The 5,500 sq ft site, located on adjacent to Highcross Shopping Centre, is a former hosiery factory. Loungers has invested around £750,000 into the conversion of the ground floor and basement.
Hospitality spaces within the venue include a large bar area, a 130-seat dining area, a 60-seat terrace and a private dining room with capacity for 40 seated.
Managing director Alex Reilley (pictured), who this year won the Pub and Bar Catey award, said: "The Leicester opening has particularly significance for me and Jake as we both spent the first 22 years of our life there.
"It's a really fantastic industrial space in a good spot in the city that should link nicely into the existing restaurant quarter in Leicester."
Hot on its heels will be the opening of Cultivo Lounge in Letchworth Garden City next week.
The company's 53rd site, Cultivo Lounge will open on the ground floor of a former Woolworths store, following a £550,000 redevelopment of the space.
The group has also confirmed Lounge openings in Keynsham (12 November), Stroud (3 December), and Peterborough (17 December) which will take Loungers up to 56 sites by the end of the year and will see the group meet its target of 15 openings in 2014.
Almost all of the 20 sites Loungers intends to open in 2015 have already been agreed, while it is also understood that a number of sites have been secured for 2016 openings.
Amongst the 2015 pipeline are Lounge openings in Sutton Coldfield, Frome, Falmouth, Amersham, and Southampton and Cosy Club openings in Birmingham, Manchester and Bournemouth.
Commenting on the group's plans, Reilley said that 2014 had been a very good year for the business.
"Not just in terms of meeting our target of opening 15 sites but also in terms of how well the new openings have performed," he added.
"We continue to enjoy success at securing great sites and should meet our target of opening 20 sites in 2015 with ease. We've got some cracking sites lined up next year and we're looking forward to taking another considerable stride towards reaching out target of 100 sites by 2017."
