Bar group, Arc Inspirations is toasting a bumper summer of football as its elevated sports bar brand BOX recorded bumper sales during England’s run to the final of Euro 2024.
On the seven days that England played, including the match against Spain in last Sunday’s final, the five BOX-branded venues, in Headingley, Leeds City Centre, Manchester, Birmingham, and Nottingham, saw sales jump more than 300%. Total company sales, including Banyan and Manahatta – doubled, with group like-for-like sales growth of 79%.
For the tournament as a whole – the five-week period to Sunday 14th of July – BOX saw sales jump more than 76%, with like-for-like sales ahead 41.4%, while on the day of the final, 14th July, like-for-like sales at BOX were up tenfold (1006%)
Arc Inspirations CEO, Martin Wolstencroft said:
“These numbers graphically illustrate the power of world-class sport when combined with world-class premium hospitality. Our BOX bars have been specifically designed to host the very best matchday experiences – possibly only bettered by being in the stadium itself – and as a result people flocked to our venues in record numbers to enjoy the Euros, and England’s run to the final, in the perfect setting.
“The tournament delivered the boost that we’d all been hoping for in the hospitality sector. It’s one thing getting people through the door, it’s another to make sure they have a great time, and our teams were outstanding. I have no doubt that the amazing experiences they helped to deliver will be a massive reason why customers come back to our bars for the next big sporting events.”
The sports focus at BOX now switches to the Paris Olympics, the new Premier League season, and the return of the NFL – for whom Arc is an Official UK Sports Bar Partner for the 2024 season. The five BOX venues will host a number of activations, competitions and parties throughout the season, bringing in-stadium entertainment to the bar.
Earlier this year, Arc secured £7m in extra funding to accelerate its expansion across the UK, with a £4m loan from its banking partner, HSBC UK, alongside a £3m equity injection from its shareholders, including BGF which has backed the business since 2022. With ambitions to deliver at least four new openings per year over the next five years, the capital will support Arc’s continued growth plans, and also fund a major programme of exciting new refurbishments.
Arc’s city centre growth strategy is key to its ambition to operate 50 bars by 2030, and the company is set to open three new sites – BOX Sheffield, and Manahatta Edinburgh and Manahatta Nottingham – this autumn, as well as eyeing further launches in London, Liverpool and Cardiff in the near future.
