Luminar founder to launch new bar concept

Stephen Thomas, the founder of Luminar, is to launch a new "up market, all seated and fully waiter serviced bar" concept called the Greene Room.

Thomas has described the bar as a return to a "cabaret experience" and hopes to rollout the format.

He has acquired a former Rat & Parrot in the theatre district of Milton Keynes and will launch it as soon as it has been converted.

The outlet will also serve food and will have a late licence until 1am.

Thomas has formed a company called No Saints — which is also home to the Chicago Pizza Pie Factory — another concept he hopes to resurrect.

He told M&C Report​: "After 22 years in the business it's getting back to basics with the development of the Greene Room, and I am really enjoying it, the team are having a great time.

"But there will be nothing like it in the marketplace, targeting the over 25s market."

The entrepreneur said he hoped to rollout the concept, but was reticent to say how many sites he would develop.

He also admitted that the Greene Room would be easier to expand than Chicago Pizza Pie Factory — because of the exacting requirements for the restaurant.

He said: "We're taking our time with Chicago Pizza Pie Factory because we want to find the best site we possible can. Also restaurants is a new thing for me and it involves working with a number of people to get the project off the ground."

Earlier this year, it was revealed how Thomas was planning to roll out the much-loved 70s pizza restaurant chain, which was part of My Kinda Town, the UK restaurant group led by Bob Payton, the US-born entrepreneur.

Thomas stood down from Luminar earlier this year and was replaced by Simon Douglas, the ex-chief executive of Zavvi, the high street music retailer in the summer.

However, performance has continued to slide at the late night operator behind the Oceana brand and it recently posted a like-for-like sales decline of 20.2%.