Café-bar and restaurant group Loungers hits 20 sites
Café-bar and restaurant group Loungers has reached 20 sites, following the opening of its new Cosy Club in Stamford, Lincolnshire.
The site, which is the third of its new female-friendly Cosy Clubs, is in Stamford's former postal delivery office and is the largest Cosy Club, at 6,000sq ft. It took 12 weeks to develop at a cost of £625,000.
The venue, which has a 120-seater dining area, is also the furthest away from Loungers' traditional Bristol base.
"It's a fantastic building with some great industrial features in a great location and in many ways the building and the Cosy Club concept are a perfect marriage," said Loungers managing director Alex Reilley.
"While Stamford wasn't on our list of immediate target towns, we recognised that it has a strong retail pitch and an affluent catchment, and it benefits from good summer tourism. As the site was so unique we opted to move quickly to secure it," he added.
Martin Bloom from Insight Retail acted on behalf of Loungers in securing the site, which is understood to have been subject to offers from two other large multiples.
Loungers is due to open several more sites in 2012, starting with two more Bournemouth openings in January and February. The group is also thought to have secured a site in Hove and is awaiting planning decisions on two more Lounge sites, in Birmingham and Christchurch, and on a Cosy Club site in Salisbury. Subject to favourable planning decisions, the group will look to develop all of the aforementioned sites in 2012 as well as adding two more Cosy Club sites, in St David's 2, Cardiff, and Southerhay in Exeter. It is also understood that the group is close to agreeing on a Cosy Club site in Bristol, which would open sometime in 2013.
Loungers opens 19th site as it secures £1m extra funding >>
Loungers plans seven new sites after 88% rise in profit >>
Loungers to create female-friendly Cosy Club brand >>
By Neil Gerrard
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