Loungers launches Brightside restaurant as it looks to reinvigorate roadside dining
Café-bar and restaurant operator Loungers has announced the launch of a new roadside restaurant brand called Brightside.
The first location will open on the A38, south of Exeter, in February 2023, with a further two locations to open in the spring, on the A303 near Honiton and on the A38 near Saltash.
Brightside will sit alongside Loungers’ two existing brands, Lounge and Cosy Club, as the restaurant operator looks to “reinvigorate roadside dining in the UK”.
Loungers said it “believes there is scope to develop a truly national brand” and has expressed an ambition to expand the Brightside brand to all parts of the UK in the next few years. Loungers aims to open its sites predominantly on A-roads and will “focus on bringing genuine hospitality back to a sector that is dominated by drive-thru and QSR (quick-service restaurants) concepts in recent years.”
Brightside will offer a menu of “classic, comfort food-style dishes”, including a brunch menu, burgers, pizzas and a kid’s menu. Loungers hopes the restaurants will appeal to a wide range of customers including families, locals, and UK holidaymakers.
Alex Reilley, Founder Chairman of Loungers, said: “We’ve had the itch for a while now to create a roadside restaurant concept that’s fit-for-purpose in the twenty-first 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, in a landscape that is currently dominated by drive-thru and QSR formats.”
He added: “We believe that Brightside will really shake up what has become an uninspiring sector and that there is potential to roll out Brightside across the UK in coming years.”
Loungers currently operates 175 Lounges and 35 Cosy Club venues in the UK and recently opened its 210th site – Barco Lounge in Selby, on Saturday 5 November.