Alex Reilley is the co-founder of the Loungers Group. He opened a café bar in Bristol with two partners with the idea of creating the kind of place where his friends would like to spend their spare time. Two decades later and Loungers operates 282 sites across England and Wales, encompassing the Lounge, Cosy Club, and Brightside brands. A key part of the Loungers success has been the ability to find and transform neglected high street properties from banks to former supermarkets. Loungers was publicly listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange from 2019, until it was acquired by Fortress Investment Group on November 28, 2024. It is now returned to private ownership.