Luminar buys up the rights to Life
Luminar, the UK's biggest club and bar operator, has now bought the rights to Life.
It has bought two late-night venues called Life (Liverpool's Life pictured) and a development site from Whitbread for about £1.5m.
The deal includes the rights to operate bars with the name of Life, which it is already using for its own growing chain of stylish late-night bars.
The Life concept was developed, with support from former brewer Marston's, by Tim Bacon, Jeremy Roberts and Danny Fox.
After opening the first Life Cafe and Voodoo Room in Liverpool, they sold it to Whitbread two years ago but continued to run it under a management contract. A second Life opened in Manchester last year and a third is under development in Leeds.
They also created the Via Vita bar chain, which was sold to Marston's and then became part of Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries before being sold to become Parisa cafe-bars.
The team now run Living Ventures, which owns The Living Room in Manchester and Liverpool and Mosquito in Liverpool.
Luminar chief executive Steve Thomas said: "These venues fit our financial and geographical criteria and will benefit from and integrate well into Luminar's management structure and systems.
"The addition to our portfolio has boosted our position in the marketplace."
Luminar has expanded its chain of Life outlets, which are cafe-bars by day and dance venues by night, to five sites, and more are planned.
The three new units will be integrated into Luminar's Life concept, which is part of its Emerging Businesses division. Other concepts include bars called simply The, a new pub concept The Orange House, and music venue The Jam House.
Related stories:
Luminar spends £60m after profits soar (May 9, 2001)
Profile of Life's creators, Living Ventures (September 1, 2000)
