Hospitality firm hope to reinvent roadside dining
ATHRIVING West hospitality firm is hoping to reinvent roadside dining with a modern alternative to Little Chefstyle venues.
Cafe-bar group Loungers is launching the new roadside chain, with the first three branches opening in Devon and Cornwall next year.
The Bristol-founded company, which operates more than 200 Lounges and Cosy Club venues around the UK, is aiming to “reinvigorate” the “tired and uninspiring” roadside dining sector in Britain, it said. The new brand – called Brightside – will be mainly based on A-roads and will sell freshly cooked “comfort-food dishes”, according to Loungers, including brunch, burgers and pizzas.
The group has already acquired three sites, the first of which is set to open on the A38, south of Exeter, in February 2023.
Further branches will open on the A303 near Honiton and on the A38, near Saltash, in the spring.
Alex Reilley, founder and chair of Loungers, pictured right, said: “We’ve had the itch for a while now to create a roadside restaurant concept that’s fit-for-purpose in the 21st century.
“For many people, the highlight of childhood road trips in days gone by was a stop at the likes of Little Chef.
“We believe there is a gap in the market for a fresh concept that gives customers the option to take a proper break and enjoy wholesome food and great hospitality.”
Little Chef was founded in 1958 and was famous for its ‘Olympic Breakfast’ – by the 1990s it had about 400 restaurants across the UK. However it went through several administrations before closing for good in 2017.
Mr Reilley said Loungers had plans to roll out the Brightside concept across the UK in the next few years and he hoped the brand would bring “proper hospitality” back to roadside dining.
“We want it to be an integral part of our customers’ journey planning, and something both adults and children alike look forward to. We believe that Brightside will really shake up what has become an uninspiring sector,” he added.
The first branch will replace the American-diner style Route 5, on Haldon Hill, near Exeter.
We want it to be an integral part of our customers’ journey planning
Loungers 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.
The initial three Brightside openings fall within these forecast new site opening numbers. Loungers opened its 210th site – Barco Lounge in Selby – on Saturday, November 5.
Loungers Founder Alex Reilley