Loungers secures fourth location for Brightside
The all day dining company behind the Lounge and Cosy Club has signed a lease with property company Godwin Developments at its new roadside retail development, Ram Jam Services, in Rutland. The site is located on the northbound section of the A1 in Rutland, which is about 20 miles east of Leicester.
Loungers recently announced the launch of Brightside, a roadside dining concept reminiscent of the Happy Eater and Little Chef sites from the 1970s and 1980s. The first will open on the A38, south of Exeter, in February 2023, with tow more locations - on the A303 near Honiton and on the A38 near Saltash - to follow in the spring next year.
The Rutland restaurant will be housed in a purpose-built, 4,500sq ft unit that is estimated to see about 41,500 vehicles passing the site daily as well as residents of the local area.
“The site has historically been a thriving roadside destination and we are really pleased to be breathing new life into it, bringing amenities and consumer choice, attracting passing motorists as well as those who are travelling to and live in the local area,” says Claudine Tracey, associate director, commercial development at Godwin Developments.
Loungers currently operates 175 Lounges and 35 Cosy Club venues and recently announced it was accelerating its site roll-out programme, targeting 30 new openings in the current financial year and between 32 and 34 on an ongoing basis. It was named Restaurant Group of the Year at this year’s R200, which were announced earlier this month.
“We believe Brightside will really shake up what has become an uninspiring sector and that there is potential to roll out Brightside across the UK in the coming years,” says Loungers co-founder and chairman Alex Reilley.
“Our expertise in high-quality, great value all-day dining, developed through Lounge and Cosy Club, gives us confidence that Brightside can bring proper hospitality back to roadside dining across the UK.”
