A quirky new cafe has been making headway in Hove, quietly building a loyal following since it opened in April.
There was no big fanfare or fancy launch party. Instead, Modelo Lounge has been drawing in customers by word-of-mouth.
“We want to grow organically within the local area, as part of the community,” says general manager Nicholas Patterson.
“From week one, we had regulars and we still see them every day. It’s a really nice feeling.”
Modelo Lounge is part of The Lounge group of eateries, a collection of community-centred cafe bars offering a home-from-home atmosphere and an alternative to the big corporate machines.
Since starting out in Bristol in 2002, the company has expanded and now has more than 20 establishments across the south of England and Wales. Hove is their first venture into the South East.
“We’re a small, independent company but we’re growing quickly,” says Patterson.
“We’re quite specific about where we put a Lounge. We wait for the right area and the right site.”
And that site was the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it former Woolwich Building Society on Hove’s Church Road, near the bottom of George Street.
Patterson, while new to Hove, has settled in well. “Hove’s lovely. It’s got a really nice vibe to it. The people are great – open and very friendly.”
Unlike many cafes and restaurants which carve themselves a specific niche, Modelo Lounge aims to cater for everybody.
The extensive menu is served from 9am to 10pm every day, so if you fancy steak and chips for breakfast, tuck in. Or if you’re tempted by a late-night full English, that’s not a problem either. For drinks, the menu covers everything from your morning cappuccino to a fruity evening cocktail.
“It’s a massive mix. There’s a lot of comfort food, classic burgers, tapas for grazing and a full kids menu.
“Everything is freshly cooked by our chefs. We don’t microwave anything.”
On Tuesdays, you can enjoy three tapas and a glass of house wine for £8.50 as part of Tapas Tuesdays. Choose from the likes of patatas bravas, honey-glazed shredded five-spice pork, sweetcorn fritters with sweet chilli dip, or crayfish and prawns with tomato and chilli.
And the focus is on independent, small suppliers. “We don’t do Guinness, we have Bath Ales and Dark Side stout. We don’t use Coca Cola, we sell Think Drinks.
“We’re not your classic brand, where everything is the same. It’s got a quirk to it. We don’t want to be like Slug And Lettuce.”
The interior reflects this alternative mindset. Antique mirrors and framed black-and-white photographs line the walls, while clusters of fringed lampshades and candles provide subtle lighting.
Everything is reclaimed, from the floor, which used to be a squash court, to the assortment of chairs and tables sourced from salvage yards and junk shops.
“The original Lounge was set up by three gents who wanted to create somewhere that was like their front room but with a bar,” says Patterson. “They wanted to recreate a homely, back to the 1950s and 1960s, cosy, old-school style.”
If you want to get truly cosy, Modelo Lounge features its very own snug, a cubbyhole to the rear of the building for more private dining. “Everyone loves it. It’s one of those areas that everyone gravitates to at the end of the night.”
Modelo Lounge prides itself on its community focus and aims to offer something for everybody.
For those who like to peruse a good novel while sipping their coffee, there is a book swap scheme where customers can trade in their old paperbacks for a new read. And fact fans can keep the grey cells ticking over with the weekly quiz night.
“Our main thing is families – parents coming out for a drink with their kids. We have a quiz on a Monday night and we have families here with tots in prams, which is really nice. The parents get a chance to go out, have a beer and do a quiz night, and the kids get to play Jenga. It works really well.
“We’re actively getting to know everyone in the local area. We have a community notice board too – it’s all about helping each other.”
Given the initial success of Modelo Lounge, are there plans to open more Lounges in the area? “There are going to be some in the future, definitely in the Sussex area.”
Church Road is notorious for restaurants popping up and often disappearing again within a matter of months. Even long-time favourite Harry’s was forced to close its doors earlier this year. So what is it about Modelo lounge that sets it apart? Patterson says it’s the fact you can’t pigeonhole the venue.
“It’s not a restaurant, it’s not a cocktail lounge, it’s not a coffee shop – you can sit here till ten o’ clock at night drinking coffee if you really want to. It’s what you make of it.
“When you come in, you make up your mind what you want us to be today.”
* Open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 11pm. Food served 9am to 10pm daily. For more information, visit www.thelounges.co.uk
