LANE 7 & TORRIDON

Lane7, the bowling alley, ping pong and golf concept, will launch three new sites in the coming months, all acquired by Will Biggart from Torridon.

Leicester opens imminently, with openings in Manchester and Bristol to follow.

Torridon acting on behalf of Lane7 has also secured a site in the St James Quarter scheme in Edinburgh. The company will open a 19,000 square foot, late-night venue on level four of the development.

The enforced six-month closure of its six sites between March and August postponed long-term growth plans but Lane7 founder and owner Tim Wilks said: “We’ve experienced the toughest and most painful period imaginable. Openings in Leicester, Manchester and Bristol have been long in the planning for us and, without covid-19, I’m confident most of these sites would have been open by now. We’ve been dealt the toughest hand possible in trying to maintain commitment to these sites during a period without trade on existing sites, so we’re excited to be in a position to now press on. While we know trading conditions will remain challenging, we’re keen to get on the front foot and extend the Lane7 experience to big cities across the UK.”

The Leicester site is due to open in October at the city’s old train station and will include a number of independent street food-style shipping containers, as part of a £50m revamp of Great Central Square.

Lane7 will take over the All-Star Lanes site in Manchester’s Deansgate later this year and will unveil its Bristol venue in the Harbourside leisure district in the new year.

Wilks added: “We have to stay cautious and understand there may well be more tough times ahead, but we’re really excited to be oiling the lanes again and bringing our brand of late-night entertainment to more cities across the UK.”

This will be a game changer for Edinburgh and for UK retailing. What Nuveen are creating at the St James Quarter will be the benchmark for all future city centre mixed use developments.

Biggart said: “We are delighted to get the first deal done at Torridon and in my home city!

It’s tough out there, but it doesn’t mean life stops and we need to stand still.

At Torridon we look for like-minded individuals, with a can do attitude, to work with and alongside.”

Will Biggart is the retained agent for Lane7.