Following the successful launch of two Mollie’s, the brand new, affordable hotel and diner concept has appointed leisure property specialist, Fleurets to support ambitious plans to expand to 100 sites over the next ten years through site search and acquisition, both in roadside and city centre locations.
Mollie’s launched in 2019 with a Motel, Diner & Drive-Thru in Buckland, Oxfordshire, followed earlier this year by the second at Cribbs Causeway, Bristol, where the group invested in excess of £15m.
A third, larger hotel in the former Granada TV Studios in Manchester city centre is scheduled to open in 2022 with Soho House located above Mollie’s on the building’s top floors. A further ten locations have already been earmarked as part of the immediate expansion plan.
Exclusively designed by the Soho House interiors team, but no longer owned by the group's founder, Mollie’s mission is to forge a new ‘budget luxe’ proposition within the travel and leisure industry – focusing on stylish, affordable stays, contemporary design, excellent service, innovative tech, sustainability and destination dining inspired by the retro American roadside diner.
Mollie’s has two formats and are seeking two- to three-acre freehold sites in strategic edge-of-town or roadside locations with the opportunity for 75+ bedrooms, 145+ cover diner and car parking. The city centre model will focus on prime city centre locations with high prominence with an opportunity for over 100 bedrooms, 145+ cover diner and 125+ cover lounge/bar.
With significant investor support, Mollie’s aims to grow to 100 sites in the next 10 years. To achieve this, Mollie’s has retained Fleurets to support the expansion plan through site search and acquisition, both in roadside and city centre locations.
Head of Hotels at Fleurets, Paul Hardwick, and Kevin Conibear, Head of Urban Markets, are leading the drive for new opportunities. They said, ‘We are delighted to be working with Mollie’s to grow this exciting challenger concept in the hotel and leisure market.
'Mollie’s has reinvented the perception of the roadside hotel and diner, with high quality accommodation and dining, but at affordable prices. The customer response to Bristol has been hugely positive and this is a welcome addition and enhancement to the vibrancy of our city centres and edge of town, roadside locations.’
Mollie’s Motel & Diner was originally conceived by Nick Jones MBE (Founder and CEO of Soho House) and is now backed by a new strategic shareholder cohort and led by Managing Director, Darren Sweetland (Soho House, Tesco Plc).