Loungers opens first covered mall restaurant at Merry Hill

Loungers has opened its first restaurant within a covered mall environment at Merry Hill, joining the Dudley destination’s 55,000 sq ft leisure quarter.

The 3,200 sq ft restaurant – called Toledo Lounge – offers an all-day menu, featuring brunches, evening tapas, salad, and burgers.

The opening adds to the £12m investment made into Merry Hill’s leisure quarter over the past three years, with Loungers joining brands such as Hollywood Bowl, ASK Italian, Wagamama, and Wingstop.

Alistair Winning, asset manager at Sovereign Centros from CBRE, said: “The leisure quarter is going from strength to strength, with record performance and a nearly complete collection of best-in-class casual dining, strengthening our F&B portfolio. The arrival of Toledo Lounge builds on this momentum, bringing a welcoming space that aligns perfectly with what we have created here; a vibrant destination for visitors to enjoy as part of either a full day-out or a leisure and dining specific visit.”

John English, head of community at Loungers, added: “We’re so excited to be part of Merry Hill and to bring our ‘home-from-home’ atmosphere and innovative menu to such a thriving destination. Community is at the heart of what we do, and we’ve made sure Toledo Lounge is a welcoming space for families, with games, colouring books, and more.”

The opening follows the announcement of a number of signings and reinvestments at Merry Hill’s lower retail park, covering almost 79,000 sq ft in total.