Revolution Bars Group to launch experiential seaside fairground-inspired bar and ‘community hub for entrepreneurs’ concepts: Revolution Bars Group is to launch an experiential seaside fairground-inspired bar with pizza offer and a “community hub for entrepreneurs” with plans to grow the concepts alongside its two core brands. Chief executive Rob Pitcher told Propel they would be opened within existing sites, the locations of which were still being determined, with one launching in July and the other in September. Speaking following Revolution Bar Group’s interim results, Pitcher said they had been developed to take advantage of changing consumer trends – competitive socialising and supporting local entrepreneurs to develop their business. Names for the two concepts, which have been in development for about six months, are still under discussion. The new bar concept will be based on retro games from the seaside fairground such as whack-a-mole and the 2p slots alongside retro arcade games. This would sit alongside a bar and pizza food offering. The second concept is described as a community market for young entrepreneurs to operate their business with mentorship from the Revolution Bars Group team. The concept will offer co-working spaces and street food. Pitcher said the new concepts would allow the business to take advantage of property opportunities that it previously would not have considered and could lead to “super sites” where the various concepts could open under one roof. He added: “While we’ve been working on these ideas for about six months, the third lockdown has accelerated the pace. As we exit the pandemic and leisure leads the rebuilding of the high street, having four brands allows us to consider properties that would not have been on our radar for Revolution and Revolucion de Cuba.” Pitcher said he believes there will be some consolidation of the sector but much of that will depend on what happens when the moratorium lifts and the outcome of the government’s call for evidence. He again insisted the pain “should be shared three ways” – by landlords, operators and the government – given hospitality had been effectively forcibly closed for 12 months. He said: “Given the rent issue has been ongoing all this time, I’m not quite sure what other evidence is needed. For us – and other operators – who have had to undergo company voluntary arrangements, what the government does now is slightly irrelevant because we were left with no choice. But the government has a responsibility to compensate businesses because it made the decision to close them.” The company has reopened outdoor areas at 20 of its bars following the lifting of restrictions and Pitcher said the great thing was “seeing the smiles on customers’ and staff’s faces”. He added: “We have quite a young team so lots of them live on their own and have been isolated. We are delighted to be able to get them back. The remainder of our sites will reopen on 17 May and the data suggests we should be running ahead of that date, rather than possibly delaying, so I’m optimistic looking ahead.”