The Cocktail Club

What The Cocktail Club does

The Cocktail Club is a UK chain of 14 party-oriented cocktail bars operating under Nightcap Ltd, a private limited company registered in England and Wales (company number 12899067). Founded in 2008 in Covent Garden by JJ Goodman and James 'Hoppy' Hopkins, the business has expanded to venues across London (including Old Street, Oxford Circus, Shoreditch, Canary Wharf, Liverpool Street, Monument, Mansion House, Goodge Street, Shaftesbury Avenue, Clapham), Bristol (Triangle, Corn Street), Reading, Cardiff, Exeter, and Birmingham, with 92 employees supporting the estate.

Revenue is generated primarily through on-premise sales of cocktails, spirits, beer, and food across venues, augmented by a portfolio of experience-led ancillary products. These include themed bottomless brunch events (90-minute hosted formats such as R&B vs Garage, Big 00s Bingo, Hot Girl Bingo, Hip Hop, Theatreland, and Musicals at venues like Reading and Shaftesbury Avenue), two-hour cocktail masterclasses at £40 per person (covering Pornstar Martini, Espresso Martini, Bramble and Mojito plus a Daiquiri challenge), private hire of rooms or full venues for corporate and celebration events, birthday party packages, hen party packages, and karaoke room bookings (e.g., Shoreditch Backstage Karaoke Room). Pricing varies regionally, with London commanding a premium and other UK regions offering lower headline prices, all VAT-inclusive. Promotion-led pricing via daily Happy Hour 2-4-1 cocktails, the rotating 'Cocktails & Dreams' nightly 2-4-1 offer, NUS student pricing at £6-7 cocktails, and Blue Light Card discounts of 25-50% off materially compress per-drink revenue in exchange for volume.

Customer segments span 18-35 party-goers (primary), students (NUS), Blue Light Card holders (NHS, emergency services, armed forces), corporate groups seeking private hire and team events, and groups celebrating occasions (birthdays, hen dos). Distribution and booking are handled via the company's own website (integrating Zonal Order & Pay for mobile ordering and payments), the Design My Night third-party booking and gift card marketplace, and direct venue phone lines. The technology stack is conventional hospitality tooling: Design My Night for reservations, Zonal EPOS for payments, Acteol for CRM and loyalty, Wireless Social for guest WiFi, Reputation.com for review management, and standard analytics (Google Analytics, Microsoft Clarity). Strategic partnerships include Bacardi for the 'Safer Together' venue safety campaign, Stonewall for Pride, Raymond Blanc OBE and Sarah Willingham (Dragons' Den) following JJ Goodman's 2008 BBC Two win, and Jägermeister for student promotions.

Name

The Cocktail Club

Legal name

Nightcap Ltd

Website

https://thecocktailclub.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Cocktail Club operates 14 party-oriented cocktail bar venues across the UK under Nightcap Ltd, serving 18-35 social drinkers with cocktails, themed bottomless brunch, cocktail masterclasses, karaoke, and private hire bookings. Distribution is via the company's website and the Design My Night marketplace.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cocktail Bars & Nightlife Hospitality

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cocktail Bars & Lounges (CRANACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cocktail Experiences (Mixology Classes, Cocktail Tours) (THAJAGAG), Bar & Beverage Catering (Mobile Bar, Bartending) (HSACAGAF)

Keywords

• Cocktail bar chain
• Nightlife venues
• Event hosting services
• Private bar hire
• Cocktail masterclasses

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Bar Sales: On-site sales of cocktails, spirits, beer, and food across all 14 UK venues. Core revenue stream from walk-in customers and those with advance bookings.
2. Cocktail Masterclasses: Group cocktail making experiences at £40 per person lasting 2 hours, including bubbly welcome drink, two cocktails from selection, and participation in the Daiquiri challenge. Marketed for birthdays, hen dos, and team building events.
3. Private Hire & Events: Full venue and partial private room hire for corporate events, birthday parties, hen parties, and other celebrations. Includes optional add-ons for entertainment, cocktail packages, and bespoke cocktail menus.
4. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold through Design My Night platform, ranging from £20 minimum to £250 maximum, valid for 12 months from purchase.
5. Bottomless Brunch: Themed 90-minute bottomless brunch events with cocktails, beer, and bubbly, priced per person. Available at select venues including Reading and Shaftesbury Avenue.
6. Happy Hour & Promotions: Daily 2-4-1 cocktail promotions during Happy Hour, plus student discounts, Blue Light Card discounts (25-50% off), and nightly Cocktails & Dreams rotating 2-4-1 offers to drive volume sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Cocktail Club operates 14 party cocktail bar venues across the UK, selling cocktails, spirits, beer, and food on-site. Beyond standard bar service, it offers themed experiences including bottomless brunch events, two-hour cocktail masterclasses at £40 per person, birthday and hen party packages, full or partial private venue hire, and private karaoke rooms. The brand targets nightlife seekers, group celebrations, students, and corporate event clients with regional London versus outside-London pricing and a portfolio of discount promotions (Happy Hour 2-4-1, student discounts, Blue Light Card discounts).

Product overview

The Cocktail Club is a chain of 14 party cocktail bar venues across the UK, operated by Nightcap Ltd. The core offering consists of cocktails, entertainment, and nightlife experiences across venues in London (Old Street, Oxford Circus, Shoreditch, Liverpool Street, Monument, Canary Wharf, Shaftesbury Avenue, Goodge Street, Clapham, Mansion House), Bristol (Triangle, Corn Street), Birmingham, Cardiff, Exeter, and Reading. The product portfolio centers on the bar experience with a drinks menu of cocktails and spirits. Add-on experiences include Bottomless Brunch (themed 90-minute events at Reading and Shaftesbury Avenue), Cocktail Masterclasses (£40 per person sessions), Birthday Party Packages, Hen Parties, Private Hire, and Karaoke (Shoreditch). Promotional offerings include Happy Hour (daily 2-4-1 cocktails), Student Discount, and Blue Light Discount. Supplementary products include Gift Cards (£20-£250 denominations, valid 12 months).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Cocktail Club Bars
• Drinks Menu
• Happy Hour
• Student Discount
• Blue Light Discount
• Bottomless Brunch
• Cocktail Masterclass
• Birthday Party Packages
• Hen Parties
• Private Hire
• Karaoke
• Gift Cards

Quantifiable outcome

• Won 42 Below Cocktail World Cup
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration15 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BacardicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Cocktail Club is partnered with Bacardi for the 'Safer Together' campaign, a venue safety initiative that includes training staff to look out for customers, free drink testing kits, and safety awareness programs. This partnership provides a safety differentiation while Bacardi gains visibility in party bar environments.
• StonewallminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCharitable partnership where The Cocktail Club creates limited-edition Pride serves and donates £1 to Stonewall for every Pride drink sold. Supports LGBTQ+ community engagement and corporate social responsibility.
• JägermeisterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPromotional partnership featuring a student Jägerbomb offer (50% off for students) and a competition to win Reading or Leeds Festival tickets. Joint marketing through participating venues including Blame Gloria, Tonight Josephine, and Dirty Martini.
• Raymond Blanc OBEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness partnership formed after JJ Goodman won BBC Two's The Restaurant in 2008. The celebrity chef partnership helped establish credibility and visibility for The Cocktail Club brand in its early growth phase.
• Design My NightcoreTechnology or IntegrationBooking and reservation system integration for table bookings, gift card sales, and event ticketing. Design My Night provides the technological infrastructure for online reservations across all venues.
• Zonal Order & PaycoreTechnology or IntegrationMobile ordering and payment system for in-venue food and drink orders, enhancing customer experience and operational efficiency.
• PubwatchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSafety partnership with other hospitality providers, police, and councils to share information about barred customers and ensure venue safety. The Cocktail Club shares personal information (including images) with Pubwatch members to identify and prohibit problematic individuals.
• PayPal, Google Pay, Apple PaycoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing partners enabling secure digital payments. Payment processors operate secure servers, encrypt card details, and authorize transactions directly.
• Meta (Facebook, Instagram)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSocial media platforms for marketing, advertising, and customer engagement. Joint controllers with Meta for Page Insights data. Uses Meta Pixel, Facebook Login, and Website Custom Audiences for targeted advertising.
• TikTokminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSocial media partnership for tracking embedded services and targeted advertising on TikTok platform.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Slug & Lettuce: Large UK bar and dining chain with extensive bottomless brunch and cocktail happy-hour programming. Competes for similar student, hen-party, and after-work customer occasions with a wider food-led menu.
• Revolution Bars Group: UK-wide cocktail-led bar and casual-dining chain known for themed events and vodka-focused drinks. Overlaps on party-led cocktail occasions, group bookings, and student/cocktail-masterclass customers.
• All Bar One: National UK cocktail-bar-and-grill chain with comparable happy-hour, bottomless brunch, and after-work drink occasions. Broader, more food-led proposition that competes for the same evening-out customers.
• Loungers: UK-listed café/bar operator with 200+ venues under Lounge and Cosy Club brands. Broader, more neighborhood/cafe-anchored concept, but overlaps on casual cocktail occasions and weekend group/customer segments.

Direct peers

• Be At One: Established UK specialist cocktail bar chain with 30+ venues focused on classic and signature cocktails with bartender flair. Direct competitor for the same 18-35 cocktail-led nightlife occasion in London and major UK cities.
• The Alchemist: UK cocktail bar and restaurant brand known for theatrical, molecular-style cocktails across 20+ venues. Competes for experiential cocktail occasions, bottomless brunch, and group bookings in similar UK geographies.
• Dirty Martini: UK cocktail bar chain operating late-night venues across major cities. Sister brand under the same Nightcap Ltd parent, jointly marketed with The Cocktail Club in Jägermeister student campaigns, offering directly comparable cocktails-and-party positioning.
• Tonight Josephine: Instagrammable, party-focused cocktail bar chain in UK cities, also part of the Nightcap group. Competes for the same young-adult, hen-party, and bottomless-brunch occasion-based customer with overlapping themed-event programming.
• Simmons Bar: UK cocktail-led late-night bar chain with themed venues, bottomless brunch, and party programming. Closely comparable in format, customer demographic, and city footprint to The Cocktail Club.
• Blame Gloria: Colorful, theme-led cocktail bar chain under the Nightcap umbrella. Overlaps with The Cocktail Club on bottomless brunch, cocktail masterclasses, and student/Jägermeister promotions across UK venues.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thecocktailclub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Cocktail Club