New Lounge bar in former HSBC building in Daventry town centre is hiring as launch date approaches

A new Lounge bar is advertising job openings as the day of the business launch in Daventry town centre draws near.

The popular chain will open the venue at the former HSBC building in Bowen Square, which closed its doors in September 2022.

According to planners, the restaurant and bar at unit 29 on the corner of Bowen Square and Foundry Place would represent £1 million in investment and could generate around 30 jobs.

A trio of longstanding friends, Dave Reid, Alex Reilley, and Jake Bishop, with years of combined experience in the restaurant and bar trade, founded Loungers UK Ltd. in 2002.

The chain already has 205 sites across the country in the form of ‘The Lounges’ and Cosy Club venues, including Kino Lounge in Kettering, Castello Lounge in Wellingborough, Lago Lounge in Rushden Lakes, Zapato Lounge in Northampton, Paletto Lounge in Corby, and Bacco Lounge in Rugby.

Following Longers UK's submission of the proposal to open the Lounge bar in the former HSBC building last year, West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) approved the change of use planning application in July 2023. The community supported the proposal, and there was general excitement among the residents.

The applicants said in a planning statement: “Based on current proposals, the conversion of this property will represent an investment cost of approximately £1 million.

“Thus, not only do Lounges create jobs for their own business, they can assist in creating an employment draw for a much wider area, across both retail and hospitality.”

The company is advertising job openings on their website, offering "competitive pay" positions ranging from assistant manager and front-of-house supervisor to bar and waiting team and kitchen team members.

Staff will receive health and safety and license training "to a very high standard."

The job vacancies were shared on February 15 and are due to expire on March 7.

Planners say the conversion of the former bank would represent a welcoming venue “with an emphasis on creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for families (as well as four-legged friends)”.

The new Lounge bar and restaurant would provide a range of meals alongside coffee, snacks, and alcohol.

The previous proposal submitted to WNC indicated a single-storey extension on a patch of grass area next to the building, which planners said would be “hidden by the entrance to flats that are on the upper floors.”

Lounge insists the proposed extension would be hidden from view of the front of the property and that the new shopfront would be "in keeping with the character and appearance of the area."

According to the plans, Lounge UK intended to apply to the Secretary of State to remove the designation of the patch of land as a public highway.

A building control application was submitted to WNC on January 26, 2024, for the single-storey extension and alterations to the commercial premise.

The planning application for the extension was approved and validated on February 7, 2024.

Lounge UK has been contacted for comment.