Loungers launches 300th site

All-day café, bar and restaurant operator Loungers opened its 300th site on 13 August. 

The owner of the Lounge, Cosy Club and Brightside brands marked the milestone with the opening of Antico Lounge in Alton, East Hampshire. 

Founded in Bristol in 2002 by friends Alex Reilley, Jake Bishop and Dave Reid, Loungers began with a single Lounge site on North Street, Bristol. The all-day café/bar format rapidly expanded across the UK. The operator has launched 21 new Lounge sites so far this year. Its sister brand, Cosy Club, joined the portfolio in 2010, and Brightside was then introduced in 2022, with its first roadside site opening near Exeter in February 2023. 

'A remarkable journey'

Reilley, co-founder and chairman of the group, comments: "When we opened the first Lounge back in August 2022, we couldn't have imagined that 23 years on we would have 300 sites in the UK. It has been a remarkable journey so far, with a lot more still to come. 

"We are so proud of the thousands of jobs we have created and the positive impact we have had on Britain's high streets."

In addition to the Lounges rollout this year, the group opened a new Cosy Club in Reading in May. Heralding a new chapter in the brand's evolution, Reading was the first site to launch with the reimagined look and branding, following the transformation of the Manchester venue in April.

The Leeds branch will take on the rebrand in September, with a brand-new Cosy Club set to launch in St Albans in October.

Brightside diners continue to operate in Cornwall, Devon and Rutland, boasting record sales so far this summer. 

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