Speaking to The Morning Advertiser, NEOS managing director Russell Quelch said the concept is designed to feel like a pub first, with the energy of a music led venue in the evening.
“It is all day trading into the late night. It is a pub environment with a fun party feel,” he said. “It focuses on all the elements of a traditional pub but moves into live music and a bit of a party later on.”
Bonnie Rogues sites are open from midday until 2am and 3am, seven nights a week, which Quelch considers a key part of its appeal in city centre locations. He stressed that extended hours are not a catch all solution for the wider pub sector.
“What goes on in a local pub in a village is very different to a pub environment in the city centre,” he said. “Extending the trading hours across the country is only going to extend the cost base of operating. In the city centre the licences are already in place anyway.”
The experience economy
Quelch said consumer behaviour continues to shift towards venues that add entertainment to the mix.
“People want to go out and experience different things other than just going out for a drink. You need to add more to your concept than just the drinks offering.”
Live music plays a central role in repeat trade across the portfolio. “It definitely adds to repeat visits,” he said. “It adds to a different atmosphere and a change in the environment as you go through the evening, giving you a clear change in how the day moves into the night.”
The portfolio also integrates daytime sport without allowing it to dominate.
“You might go in on a Saturday afternoon and there is a live band on but England rugby is on in the background,” he said. “It ticks a lot of boxes. Getting the segments right through the daytime and working out how we piece each part of the day together is really key for us.”
Trading patterns
Early evening continues to perform well across the estate, with a notable rise in Saturday afternoon trade.
“We are seeing early evening perform strong. Saturday afternoons are now a key trading window,” Quelch said. “Things move earlier with live music. It is not just about entertaining people later in the evening.”
Food is positioned as a support rather than a primary driver, with the menu rooted in core pub expectations.
“We tend to lead with our marketing on the live music and the atmosphere,” he said. “We support with food but we do not see food as a driver except on a Sunday afternoon for a roast dinner. The food market is so competitive on the high street. It is an addition to the visit, not the first point of call.”
“If you said to anyone in the country they could tell you five dishes they expect on a pub menu. We stick to that and build around it,” Quelch said.
The newest Bonnie Rogues opened in Brighton last week opposite NEOS’ sister site, Bavarian-style bar Barbara’s Bier Haus.
Brighton launch
“It was great. The venue looks good and traded well over the first weekend,” Quelch said. “It is a weird time of year to open going into Christmas, so we will not really know how the trade is going until February or March.”
Investment levels typically sit at between £180 and £200 per square foot for full rebrands, as seen in Brighton and Kingston.
“If we take a venue back to the four walls and build from the beginning that is the level,” he said. “If we do a refresh it depends on what needs to be improved.”
Corporate Christmas business is already up 20% across the portfolio. “We are in a really good position and up on last year. It has been a key driver for us,” he said.
Those aged 20-40 are the brand’s core audience, though the format attracts a wide age range throughout the day.
“It changes through the day. We like Bonnies because it caters for a lot of different people,” Quelch said. “One of the challenges in hospitality is creating an environment that any age is comfortable with. We have that in Bonnies.”
NEOS now plans to push ahead with further expansion in 2026, with one site already in legal stages and a wider pipeline under development.
“We are comfortable and confident with the rollout,” Quelch said. “Bonnies is a concept we can roll out, and we are going to continue. One of the key things is that it does not cannibalise Barbara’s. We are seeing evidence that the three can sit alongside each other, which makes acquisition opportunities more plentiful.”
Quelch expects live entertainment to remain a core driver of trade across the high street next year.
“Consumers will always enjoy something that adds to the night out. I do see it being part of the core trade,” he said. “The emergence of country music has just got bigger and bigger and that definitely adds.”
