Inventive Leisure to plough £6.6m into rollout of new-look Revolution

11-Jul-2013 - Last updated on 12-Jul-2013 at 10:47 GMT

Inventive Leisure is to spend £6.6m rolling out its new-look design for Revolution following eight successful trials including in Manchester's Deansgate Locks

Revolution bar operator Inventive Leisure has announced it is to spend £6.6m on rolling out a new format for its venues following successful trials in eight sites.

The Greater Manchester-based firm, which owns and operates 66 Revolution bars across the country, has revealed the so-called 'Evolution' programme will be extended over the next eight months to a further 26 bars.

More affluent

The new-look bar was first introduced as a trial in eight sites - Leeds, York, Edinburgh, Liverpool Albert Dock, Cambridge, Manchester Deansgate Locks, Wilmslow and Aberdeen - in order to try and reflect the brand's increasingly style-conscious customers.

Mark McQuater, Inventive Leisure chief executive, said the new design had proved popular with the target audience.

“Our customers pull from the more affluent 18-35-year-old age group and the new design and service standards, coupled with the unique mix of music and entertainment has hit the market spot-on for this eclectic group," he revealed.

The 'Evolution' programme has seen the introduction of a meet-and-greet service on arrival, full-floor service throughout the venues, new 'stylish' decor with 'attention-grabbing' displays and an enhanced drinks offer.

"Our trials have enabled us to constantly improve elements of our offer and come up with a repositioned Revolution brand that works for our customers. We have seen fantastic results - it’s very exciting," McQuater added.

A greater emphasis has been placed on quality cocktails as part of the enhanced drinks offer - the menu will no longer be focused purely on vodka-based drinks. Classics such as the Mojito will now be available alongside a range of sharing and 'connoisseur cocktails'.

Rollout

The Revolution bar in Swansea will reopen on 20 July closely followed by Brighton the next week.

Revamped sites will then open at the rate of one per week until the next 26 bars earmarked for the new format have been transformed.

As well as 66 Revolution bars, Inventive Leisure owns and operates five Revolution de Cuba bars across England, Scotland and Wales.