Cafe-bar and restaurant operator Loungers has opened the second site under its Brightside roadside dining brand.
The inaugural Brightside diner opened on the A38 south of Exeter earlier this year, followed last month by Brightside Saltash, located on the site of the former Route A38 restaurant at Trerulefoot in southeast Cornwall.
The concept takes inspiration “from the 1970s and 80s, caravan interiors, classic road trip movies and memories of roadside dining and holidays from a bygone era”.
Customers can expect formica-topped tables, booths upholstered with orange and brown striped train seat fabric, and an all-day-dining menu including potato croquettes, burgers, pizzas, waffle fries and sundaes, with vegan and gluten-free options available.
Loungers has also acquired two further sites – one on the A303 near Honiton which is due to open in August, and another on the A1 in Rutland – and the group said it has “ambitious plans to roll out Brightside to all corners of the UK”.
Brightside adds to Loungers’ existing Lounge Café Bars and Cosy Club brands, which together count around 230 sites across the UK.
The roadside dining concept has been making something of a comeback in recent times, with Soho House-designed Mollie’s also having opened motels and diners off the M5 in Bristol and the A420 in Oxfordshire.
Alex Reilley, founder and chairman of Loungers plc, said:
“Since launching Brightside Exeter back in February, we’ve been incredibly well-received, confirming our thoughts that roadside dining needed reinvigorating and that travelling shouldn’t just be about the final destination, but the journey itself.
“Our expertise in high-quality, great value all-day dining through our other brands means that we’re confident Brightside will bring proper hospitality back to roadside dining.”
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