Urban Leisure Group plans major London expansion

The new openings will take the group to 13 sites. Hartley said he would like to open a further two venues in 2017, but there would inevitably be a period of consolidation.

The next two sites will the 70/80s themed Coin Laundry in Finsbury’s Exmouth Market, followed by pizzeria and craft beer bar Heist Bank in the Merchant Square development in Paddington.

These will be followed by a ‘lively cocktail bar with a complementary food offer’ in the former La Brocca Italian restaurant in West Hampstead, in February.

The group then plans to open the third Alice House — which Hartley says has the potential for further rollout — in the Putney Station site, formerly run by Brinkley’s Restaurants for a launch in April.

ULG is also in legals on a cocktail driven bar in East London, which Hartley hopes to open by March. He said the plan was to open one other site before the end of 2016.

Hartley stepped up to the role of MD in August, having served as operations director for the past three years.

He said: “My role is to help us grow from seven to 13. We have done a lot of work building the team in HQ so it takes some of the day to day operational responsibility away from me.”

Hartley said the group plans to work with a local brewery to produce bespoke tanks of beer at Heist Bank and will offer parties booking the function room the chance to pre-order beer and serve themselves from their own keg.