Abergavenny’s town centre welcomes a new lounge bar this week, after Portico Lounge opened its doors today.

The restaurant and bar, filling the old New Look store on Frogmore Street, was packed with customers just hours after opening.

Owned by the West Country-based restaurant and cafe group Loungers.

In a statement ahead of the launch, Loungers said the opening of Portico Lounge would create 25 local jobs, and the firm had spent £800,000 on revamping the site.

Portico Lounge is described as ‘a family-friendly retro-inspired cosy retreat’ decorated with ‘eclectic artwork and quirky curios sit next to oversized vintage sofas and old school benches, strikingly painted table tops and statement lighting.’

Portico Lounge focuses on families, with games, books, colouring pencils and pads, a full menu for younger customers, and high chairs and baby-change facilities.

Loungers’ operations manager Jeremy Burton-Dickie said, “We can’t wait to get in and get going at Portico Lounge and become involved in the community, who we hope will love lounging as much as we do.”??The group’s website adds, “Portico Lounge in Abergavenny is a home from home, offering delicious food and drinks, all day, on your doorstep. We exist to bring people together and our unique atmosphere changes hour by hour with each new wave of customers. We are proud of our Lounge and its community and our aim is simple: every customer leaves happy.”

The staff has also chosen to support the fundraising effort for Jacob’s Fight, the campaign set up to fund specialist treatment for three-year-old Jacob Jones, who was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma in 2017.

Loungers said Jacob’s cause had resonated with team, who will donate 50p from every burger and 10p from every coffee sold during the first month of trading to the effort. ?