Restoring this historical building into a fabulously grand new bar and restaurant is certainly one not to miss. Standing proudly in the original Corn Exchange building, expect to see original marketplace adverts adorning the walls, portraits of those who previously walked the floors of the building and of course some rather elegant wallpaper!
Loungers was founded in 2002 by a trio of long standing friends, Dave Reid, Alex Reilley and Jake Bishop. Having spent years in the restaurant and bar trade – not to mention just as many propping up the bars in Bristol (all of course in the name of research) – they decided it was time they did their own thing. The motivation was simple and very selfish; they wanted somewhere to drink themselves.
An empty opticians on North Street, Bristol seemed to fit the bill. It had the necessary planning permission, was just about big enough and in reasonable condition. The ‘shell’ included a kitchen so they accepted that they would be doing a bit of food, and after a few months of sort-of-not-knowing-what-they-were-doing, Lounge opened on Tuesday 29th August 2002.
They liked it a lot and so, it seemed, did a lot of other people. They pondered whether they should open another one, maybe on Gloucester road, and in what was an absurdly short space of time they did, and Loungers was born.
Cosy Club came along a mere 8 years later on 10th September 2010 when a beautiful building in Taunton became available. Our very first Cosy Club. The rest, as they say, is history…