Opening in St Paul’s in the capital on 5 June in time for the FIFA World Cup, the new venue is described as an ‘elevated alternative’ to functional sports viewing and has been designed to appeal to a new generation of customers that see sports viewing as a broader social occasion.
The site was previously part of the Dirty Martini portfolio, which is also owned by Nightcap, and has been refurbished to include ambient, changeable lighting, neon signs, painted wall graphics, and brick, timber, and steel finishes.
It will show live sports with a menu of drink-friendly sharing plates on offer to suit after-work occasions, weekend socialising, group bookings, and event-led trade, rather than relying only on match-day football.
“There’s a wider movement across hospitality towards immersive, experience-led formats that create reasons to visit beyond core product alone. Working with this insight, we saw a clear gap in the market to serve the wide demographic of consumers who love to watch sport socially, with the game being the starting point, but not the only purpose of the night,” says Carly Pitman, head of brands at Nightcap.
“Our St Paul’s site offered a prime location to test this new concept in a category ready for a refresh, with six figures being invested in upgraded AV, lighting, modern, sleek interior design and quality, and crowd-pleasing food.
“The sports bar category has remained relatively unchanged for too long, despite clear shifts in how consumers want to socialise. The launch of The Side Hustle reflects Nightcap Group’s continued investment in experience-driven concepts that respond to evolving consumer demand and changing city lifestyles.”