The all-day bar-restaurant-café operator, which operates sites under the Lounge, Cosy Club and Brightside brands, will open the venue Essen, Germany, with the Southville brand being a nod to the group’s original Lounge, which opened in Bristol’s Southville neighbourhood in 2002.
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The company said the move follows extensive work to understand the German market, including consumer behaviour, cultural nuances, and the broader F&B landscape with strong similarities between German and UK consumer habits, particularly around all-day socialising, casual dining and neighbourhood-focused hospitality being identified.
Loungers chairman and co-founder Alex Reilley said: “Opening in Germany is a landmark moment for the business and something we’ve approached with real care.
Evolution of Loungers
“Southville reflects the evolution of Loungers while staying true to the values we started with back in 2002. When we look at Rüttenscheid, we recognise something – the same neighbourhood energy, the same post-industrial reinvention and the same broad mix of cultures and generations that we found on North Street all those years ago.
“Essen is the right city, at the right time, and we’re excited to introduce our style of neighbourhood hospitality to a completely new market.”
Loungers CEO Nick Collins added: “Germany feels like a natural first step for us. We’ve spent time getting under the skin of the market and there’s a real alignment with the way people eat, drink and socialise.
“Southville gives us the chance to take what we do best and shape it thoughtfully for a new audience, without losing the spirit that has defined the Lounge brand for more than 20 years.”
Evolving its philosophy
Rather than exporting a British format, Loungers said it has focused on evolving its philosophy for a new market, with table service and reservations becoming key differentiators from the traditional Lounge model. Additionally, the team has worked closely with a development chef in Germany in replacing or adapting about half of the current Lounge dishes to reflect the different tastes of German consumers.
There are 273 Lounges in the UK that are principally located in secondary suburban high streets and small town centres.
Cosy Clubs are more formal bar-restaurants offering reservations and table service are typically located in city centres and large market towns with the total number of UK sites amounting to 36.
Brightside is a roadside dining concept and was launched in November 2022. There are four in total.
