The Tonight Josephine takeover

What inspired the expansion of Tonight Josephine, particularly in Cardiff?

Since the start of the pandemic, we were determined to get through the hard times, and to create an even better brand and business on the other side. Doing the deal with Nightcap has opened up the possibility of doing what we’d always wanted – to give Tonight Josephine to many more cities and towns. There is very little like Tonight Josephine, even five years on and with the brunches we’ve added, the experience in our bars is only getting better.

What attracted the Adventure Bar Group to this particular site?

We’ve been looking at Cardiff for a while and definitely wanted to be in the St Mary Street area of the city. The area is bustling and our demographic is already in the area. The site is perfectly in the middle of the action and is surrounded by complimentary brands and bars so we can’t wait to open.

What will be different about the site in Cardiff?

I can’t give it all away, but the site will be an evolution on our previous sites. The bar is split over two levels (the first and second floors) so there’ll be a few more stairs. The look and feel of the site will be the best yet, and Cardiff will see the best of what we have been building for the past five years.

How will it continue the traditional Tonight Josephine trademark?

The bar will still be a very female-friendly atmosphere with event-led, crazy daytime events, insta moments and the best atmosphere late night anywhere. How we deliver this is getting even better though… no spoilers!

What can customers expect from the new site?

The layout of the building has given us two fairly even floors so there’s good views for the events, and plenty of cosy seating for events of any description. Both floors are fully bookable and we have great food, cocktails and music for an unforgettable experience. It’s going to be a gorgeous site and look great in photos.

What inspired the bubble gum pink interior concept of Tonight Josephine?

We worked with a brilliant all-female branding and design team to create a bar in Waterloo that needed to stand out, whilst being everything we always took pride in as operators of the Adventure Bar Group. The colour is millennium pink which was huge when we were in the design phase; it’s likely the design of the brand will remain relevant and at the cutting edge of hospitality. 

What has the public reaction been to the Tonight Josephine brand so far?

We’ve been oversubscribed for much of the past five years, expanding our original Waterloo site and having opened in Shoreditch and, more recently, Clapham to meet demand. Since launching our brunches, we are busier than ever. Our guests often sing the praises of our wonderful teams, the cocktails, the insta-worthy photos they can take and the electric atmosphere, which has been our focus for the 17 years we’ve been operating. Birmingham has welcomed us with open arms and we can’t wait to get Cardiff open and then very soon somewhere else.

Does the company have plans for further expansion?

Absolutely! I’m a big believer in sharing something that’s good enough to share and see it as our obligation to put a Tonight Josephine in as many places as possible. We want to expand the brand, along with Blame Gloria too, to give the experience we strive for to as many people as possible. With the backing of Nightcap, we want to start this year and take advantage of the more friendly site finding conditions, especially in the regions of the UK.

What is next for Tonight Josephine?

We have our target cities and towns and can’t wait to see Tonight Josephines up and down the UK. We’re so excited to look for a big expansion and have a high energy and ambitious team ready to deliver big on our plans. The past couple of years have been tough for the industry and for all our teams, but hopefully the worst is behind us and we can kick on and have some fun.