Lane7 strikes expansion triple

A leisure and entertainment operator is gearing up for a major multi-city expansion as part of a wider move to streamline its operations and support long-term growth.

Lane7 has confirmed plans to begin work on three new boutique bowling and entertainment venues in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Leeds in the first quarter of 2026, with development across all sites expected to start before the end of March.

Alongside the expansion, the Lane7 Group is restructuring its operations to bring all of its brands under a single administrative structure, in what bosses are predicting will be a “transformational year” that will help “turbocharge” growth plans.

The move will see Lane7, Level X, ML7 and Gutterball operate under one unified group, a change designed to simplify management, improve efficiency and better support its growing portfolio.

In Scotland, the group will open a new Lane7 venue in Glasgow city centre, adding to its existing Level X operation at St Enoch’s Centre, while Edinburgh will gain a second site at Ocean Terminal in Leith to complement its established presence at St James Quarter. 

The Edinburgh opening will make it the fifth city in which Lane7 operates multiple venues.

Meanwhile, Leeds will mark the group’s first venture into Yorkshire, with a 23,000sq ft venue planned in the heart of the city centre, a location long identified as a key target for the business.

Gavin Hughes, group managing director, said: “We know 2026 is going to be another transformational year for the group. 

“We’ll be starting development of three new sites by the close of the first quarter, taking in some new locations and expanding further in others.   

“Equally, the administrative restructuring of the brands that form the group means we’ll enter 2026 with a much stronger financial model for our busy investment and growth plans. 

“This will turbocharge our ability to better resource both the identification and subsequent acceleration of new site plans, work with even more ambitious suppliers and partners, and maintain our position as the industry’s front-runners in developing new, competitive experiences in the social space.”

Founded in Newcastle in 2013 by Tim Wilks, Lane7 has grown rapidly, building a reputation for high-energy social gaming concepts in prominent city centre locations. 

The group now operates more than 20 Lane7 venues, alongside family-focused Gutterball sites, immersive Level X experiences and the ML7 concept, as well as an international presence following its Berlin opening in 2024.

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