Bristol cafe-bar chain Loungers aims to double up

Bristol-based cafe and bar chain Loungers £16m investment from Piper Private Equity in April of this year is going to help the chain to more than double its outlets to 50 over the next three to five years.

Loungers opened its first site in Bristol in 2002 and now has 20 Lounges – five in Bristol – and three Cosy Clubs in an estate stretching from the South Coast to Birmingham.

Management are now looking at opportunities in the North West.

The company was founded by friends Alex Reilley, Jake Bishop and Dave Reid, who saw an opportunity to create a new chain of informal, neighbourhood all-day café-bars.

Alex Reilley stated:  “The North West and South East are the two areas we’re pushing the boundaries further afield. The North West has been easier for us to unlock sites and I think for the foreseeable future we’ll concentrate very much on Manchester, Greater Manchester and Liverpool.”