Felson’s Sports Lounge and Stick Hall, Bournemouth
The Intertain group has launched a new US-inspired sports bar concept in Bournemouth: Felson’s Sports Lounge and Stick Hall. It has a first floor bar with pool tables, craft beers and cocktails, and has been named after a famous 1950s American pool player, Eddie Felson. It will be open every day from midday to midnight. Intertain chief executive John Leslie said: “Felson’s is an entirely new concept for us and taps into the trend for secret speakeasy bars and word-of-mouth hangouts. Felson’s is as much a pool bar as it is a place for a post-work cocktail and we have taken great care to make sure it appeals as much to women as it does to men across our website, marketing materials, décor and menus.”
TGI Friday’s will open its next UK restaurant in Brighton Marina on 13 July. It is a 160-cover restaurant. Property director David Carroll said: “It has been a long time coming but we are absolutely thrilled to announce that Fridays will be opening in Brighton Marina. We’ve known for a long time that there is huge demand for us to bring our legendary style of American food, drink and atmosphere to the seaside city, so we are expecting a busy and exciting opening.”
Brasserie Blanc has reopened its restaurant at Cabot Circus in Bristol. The relaunch of the 4,500 square feet incorporates changes to the group’s branding, and has left it with a 48-cover mezzanine level, bar lounge, cheese and wine able and outside bar. The reopening completes the final phase of Brasserie Blanc’s chain-wide brand evolution.
Brasserie chain Cote will open a new restaurant in Edinburgh next Wednesday (15 June). It has spent £1m on developing a 160-cover restaurant in a listed building on Frederick Street.
George’s Great British Kitchen has become the latest concept to sign for a unit at the intu Eldon Square restaurant quarter in Newcastle. It will be a second site for the brand, which operates at intu Victoria in Nottingham.
BAO will open a second bar and restaurant on Windmill Street in Fitzrovia on 6 July. It will join the first permanent BAO bar in Hackney. The new restaurant will have an extended menu, ordered via a tick-style system, plus drinks including six original cocktails and milkshakes. A basement area will be available for private hire.
US pizza brand MOD says it will open its second UK restaurant in Brighton in the second week of August. It will be on the Marina in the town and will have 86 covers. It follows close behind MOD Pizza’s debut in the UK in Leeds, and the group has targeted five sites by the end of this year. Co-founder Scott Svenson said: “The spirit and energy of Brighton is a perfect match for MOD’s people-centric culture that celebrates individuality and self-expression.”
The White Brasserie Pub Company has set 27 June for the opening of its latest new pub, the Oakwood on Brook Lane in Wilmslow. It will become the 11th pub in the group and has taken on a unit previously occupied by Loch Fyne.
Rotisserie chicken concept Clockjack is to open a second restaurant as part of the Woolwich Arsenal Estate. It will be a 1,500 square feet site and opens next month. It joins the original Clockjack, which opened in Soho four years ago.
Artisan bakery and cafe concept Peyton & Byrne is to open a fifth store on Great Portland Street very soon. It is a 1,000 square feet and 40-cover site, and will be open from 8am to 8pm daily. Peyton & Byrne already runs bakeries in Hammersmith, Greenwich, Central St Giles and Covent Garden, and has expanded its menu for the new launch. Founder Oliver Peyton said: “We are delighted to have expanded our list of bakeries to five and to launch our new product range at the Great Portland Street bakery. This bakery will be the perfect place to stock up for an impromptu picnic in Regent’s Park, whilst also catering to local office workers looking for a quality weekday lunch.”
Pret a Manger has signed for a site at the Westgate centre in Oxford, local media report.
Living Ventures is planning to open a branch of its Alchemist cocktail bar and restaurant brand at MediaCity in Salford Quays. It is likely to open next month.
Zia Lucia, the previously announced new pizza restaurant concept using a variety of doughs, has set next Friday (17 June) for its official opening. It is on Holloway Road in London.
Thai Tapas brand Koh will open its 11th restaurant in Romsey in Hampshire in July. It has also acquired a location in Winchester.
Prosecco brand Scavi & Ray is opening a prosecco bar at the Mall in Cribbs Causeway near Bristol before the end of the month.
Camerons Brewery will open its tenth Head of Steam pub on Newcastle Quayside in early August. It has taken on a pub previously run by Greene King.
Nando’s is opening in Sevenoaks by the end of the summer—and according to local media has applied for permission to open for breakfast there from 7am every day. It currently only sells breakfast at its Gatwick airport branch.
A new all-day restaurant called Bronte will open on the Strand in July. Its menu will have Antipodean and Pacific influences, and there will be a cocktail bar. It will be on the site previously occupied by the Strand Dining Rooms.
Marston’s has submitted plans to build a new pub, restaurant and hotel in Peterhead. It would form part of the Buchan Gateway scheme there.
Delivery service Deliveroo launched a pop-up garden for takeaway food on Hoxton Square this week. It has a garden bar and evening entertainment, and runs until tomorrow (10 June).
Coombeshead Farm, a major new restaurant and working farm co-founded by Pitt Cue’s Tom Adams, will open in Cornwall on 6 July. It will have a 12-cover farmhouse dining room with communal table, plus six bedrooms, whisky room, wine cellar and working farm. Workshops will follow. Adams has developed the concept with April Bloomfield of the Spotted Pig in New York.
Event and contract caterer Rhubarb is to run food and drink operations at the Henley Music Festival. It will look after four restaurants, six bars and various pop-ups at the event from 6 to 10 July.
Papa John’s has opened a new store in Derby.
JD Wetherspoon opens the Nine Arches in Newton le Willows in Lancashire on 28 June, and the Lifeboat pub in Formby on 12 July. It has spent £2.1m on the Formby site, which was previously a Conservative Club.
