Opening on 12 November, the Norwich restaurant marks the first of Bourgee’s new look sites. Spread over two floors, the site will have a restaurant downstairs and a Bites-Bar-Luxe Lounge above serving tapas.
The move follows founding directors James Welling and Mark Baumann taking full control of the business, following the departure of two other directors and the closure of its restaurants in Southend-On-Sea, Chelmsford and Bury St Edmunds.
“We have undergone a lot of change in the last year which has been a difficult time for us all, but we see the launch of Bourgee in Norwich as a significant moment for the brand,” say the pair. “This is Bourgee 2.0 and we know the brand is better than ever.
“Norwich is just the start for us. Now we are moving forward as a duo, our plan is so much more than delivering steak and lobster, we are on a quest to give diners a premium experience at a price they won’t balk at. We know we have a brand that hits a customer sweet spot, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
Bourgee, opened the first restaurant in Southend-on-Sea in 2014. It currently operates its Bites-Bar-Luxe Lounge at London Southend Airport, which it opened in April this year, and plans to open a further restaurant in Essex next year.
t says its has ambitions to take the brand UK-wide over the next five years.
The opening coincides with a change of fortunes in the struggling burger and lobster category, which has seen a few years of decline following its early growth. Last month Burger & Lobster reported that it recovered from a £10m loss in 2016 to post a £2.4m profit in 2017.
The group, which launched in 2011 in Mayfair, closed four UK restaurants to focus on London and international expansion last year.