The company says that the launch of Antico Lounge in Alton, East Hampshire ‘cements its position as one of the UK’s fastest-growing hospitality operators’.
Founded in Bristol in 2002 by friends Alex Reilley, Jake Bishop and Dave Reid, Loungers began with a single Lounge on North Street, Bristol.
The all-day café/bar format grew quickly across the UK, and in 2010 sister brand Cosy Club launched with a focus on larger, more central venues and a more upscale feel.
Loungers introduced its third brand, Brightside, in 2022 and opened the first roadside site near Exeter in February 2023.
“We when opened the first Lounge back in August 2002 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,” says chairman Alex Reilley.
“We are so proud of the thousands of jobs we have created and the positive impact we have had on Britain’s high streets.”
Loungers has opened 21 new Lounges so far this year. The company says that each Lounge contributes an average of nearly £1m investment to the local high street it serves, and creates around 30 new jobs.
Loungers CEO Nick Collins added: “I would like to say a massive thank you to our almost 10,000 team members. We couldn’t have reached this milestone without the astonishing effort of everyone who is involved in finding, building, and opening our sites; supporting them from our HQ, and of course our teams in the Lounges, Cosy Clubs and Brightsides busy serving communities across the UK. It’s a fabulous team effort.”