UK bar chain Dirty Martini sees Christmas sales rise

UK cocktail bar chain Dirty Martini saw a 10.8% increase in like-for-like sales over the 2017 Christmas period compared to the previous year.

Dirty Martini saw its like-for-like sales over the Christmas period rise at its 10 venues across the UK

Sales at the 10 venues, owned by CG Restaurant and Bars Group, were up on the same period in 2016, with “exceptionally strong” sales at the groups newest sites in Leeds and Manchester aiding these figures.

The chain of bars, known for its bespoke Martinis and signature cocktails, saw its highest sales increase in the week leading up to Christmas and New Year’s Eve, experiencing a like-for-like sales increase of 12.7% compared to 2016.

Scott Matthews, chief executive officer at Dirty martini, said: “We are delighted to announce an outstanding performance for Dirty Martini over the December period. Our new sites are outperforming expectations and existing sites continue to trade strongly, with Cardiff and Minories both delivering significant sales increases now in their second year of trading as brand awareness increases.”

He continued: “We are so pleased with how customers have responded to our latest Dirty Martini openings in Manchester and Leeds and are looking forward to opening our Birmingham site Dirty Martini in April 2018.”

Dirty Martini operates seven venues across London, including bars in Covent Garden and Islington, as well as sites in Cardiff, Leeds and Manchester. The group plans to open another site in Birmingham later this year.

Over the Christmas period, Dirty Martini focussed on group bookings and saw a 21% increase in pre-booked sales, which accounted for 60% of total sales.

CG Restaurants & Bars Group owns and operates the ten sites in the Dirty Martini group, including its newest venue Manchester, as well as the Fire & Stone and Tuttons restaurants in Covent Garden.