- Arc’s award-winning bar, BOX, is set to open in London this autumn
- The brand will take over a 7200ft venue located off Shaftesbury Avenue
- The operator will be investing £4M into this new site, and 90 new jobs will be created for the sector
[London, May 2025] Award-winning bar group, Arc Inspirations, the leading operator behind the premium bar brands, Banyan, BOX and Manahatta, has announced plans to open a flagship venue in London this autumn.
The announcement marks a significant milestone in Arc’s growth strategy, which will see the operator investing £4M to open a BOX, off Shaftesbury Avenue in the heart of London’s West End district. Spread across two floors, the 7,200ft venue is set to open to its first customers in October, with the aim of becoming the go-to premium destination for watching sport, interactive competitive socialising and live entertainment.
The new BOX London venue with capacity for 450 guests and seating for 200 will be the ultimate bar to watch, play and party late into the night. Relaxed by day and energetic by night, BOX has something for everyone, with award-winning locations already operating in Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, and Sheffield. The operator will also be developing its existing food offering for the London market, with more details on this to be announced ahead of its official launch.
Arc Inspirations Co-Founder and CEO, Martin Wolstencroft, said: “Announcing our presence in London is a huge step for Arc Inspirations. After achieving great success across our existing locations, having the opportunity to open our first venue in London is a milestone moment for the group. We are extremely proud of what we have built with our BOX concept, with BOX Nottingham recently being awarded ‘Best New Site’ at the Publican Awards 2025. We now can’t wait to bring our award-winning bar to the capital.”
The new site will create 90 new jobs in a major boost to the area, and all employees will be able to take advantage of Arc’s industry-leading training and developing programmes.
This announcement is the latest step in the company’s drive to invest in city centres, having recently opened its first site in Edinburgh and expanded its name further in Nottingham with a new Manahatta location. It is now eyeing up further expansion in the Welsh capital of Cardiff. Central to this strategy is identifying and securing prime city centre locations where Arc can operate its three differentiated brands – BOX, Manahatta and Banyan – in close proximity. The three brands are designed to co-exist, offering something different within each so that they can operate alongside each other within major city centres, without impacting or ‘cannibalising’ trade.
Further details on the London venue, as well as the official opening date will be announced later in the year.