Listed leisure group Loungers Plc has confirmed plans to launch its first North East site.
The West Country cafe bar group has been growing at a rapid rate since its launch by three friends in 2002 and now operates more than 200 bars and restaurants around the UK under two brands – Cosy Club and Lounge. The listed firm, which last year posted record revenues of £237m and profit of £21.6m, has now confirmed its plans to open in the North East for the first team, through the planned opening of Muro Lounge in Hexham at the end of August.
The company said Muro Lounge will be open all day, every day for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and drinks, including kids’, gluten-free and vegan menus, “served in a relaxed, welcoming space”. The Loungers build and design team are now gearing up to transform the former Argos site on Fore Street to become “a real home from home”. The company says Muro Lounge will cater for all tastes throughout the day with a varied menu.
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Loungers has submitted a license application seeking permission to serve alcohol from 10am to midnight daily, as well as a separate application to create an outdoor seating area. Managers say Muro Lounge will “welcome locals looking for a space for regular catch ups, meetings and events – everything from business networking, book or knitting clubs to parent and baby meets and life drawing classes”.
Gemma Irwin, community manager at Loungers, said: “We’re so looking forward to opening the doors of Muro Lounge at the end of August. We hope our family friendly environment and top-notch food and drink offering will prove popular with local residents.
“We’re passionate about integrating genuinely into the communities we serve so we’re looking forward to meeting everyone and to playing our part at the heart of Hexham’s food and drink scene. Anyone looking for a space to host events or groups should pop in once we’re open, we’d love to hear from them and see what we can do to help.”
A recruitment drive has also been launched to fill a range of front and back-of-house roles at the site.
The Bristol group’s CEO Nick Collins last year said the North East was a region Loungers was looking to edge into following Lounge openings in North Yorkshire – in Northallerton, Rippon and Scarborough – and property teams recently visited the area to look at potential sites.
Last week Loungers opened its 221st site when it launched Fioro Lounge, in Cheltenham. The company will also launch Bianco Lounge in The White Rose shopping centre in Leeds in May.
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