A new all-day dining concept offering three separate food brands from a central kitchen and called Flamingo has got off to a flying start.

The 3,500 sq ft indoor-outdoor venue in Winton, Bournemouth, comes under the wing of Aviary Hospitality Ltd, owner of Chicken & Blues.

It’s invested more than £600,000 in the project.

The 100-cover café describes itself as ‘your suburban hideway’ and includes a large heated garden pergola complete with retractable electric roof.

It officially opened its doors on May 19 after a soft launch two days earlier and – just five weeks later – is already exceeding targets set for its third month.

Joshua Simons, Director, said: “We’d set ourselves a target of 1,500 covers a week by the end of month three but we’ve already hit 2,000 covers a week.

“It’s been very, very busy but we’re pleased at the response which has been incredibly positive.

“Guests really seem to love it and it feels like we’ve hit a sweet spot.

“But you never rest in this business and we’ve drawn up a 100-point list of things we want to improve.

“We’ll work through this list over the coming months together with the many constructive comments we’ve received from our guests.”

The menus offered by Flamingo are:

• Earlybird, an all-day brunch concept, serving up local coffee, fresh juice and a selection of both classic and original dishes including full, vegetarian and plant-based English as well as buns, bagels, pancakes and classics such as steak and eggs.
• Brenda’s Burgers, inspired by the classic American burger stand and serving handmade burgers and fries. Flamingo has partnered with Webster Family Butchers for 100 per cent natural grass-fed beef and Beyond Meat for a twist on a plant-based special.
• Poco Loco, meaning ‘a little crazy’ and bringing together a mixture of authentic Mexican small plates, sharing dishes and tacos.

Opening hours are 9am to 11pm seven days a week.

Thirty jobs were created with the opening of Flamingo.

Joshua said: “Our primary audience are the thousands of families, professionals and students that live in the local neighbourhood.

“However, many customers are visiting from further afield.

“It’s always a bit nerve-wracking when you translate a concept into reality so to see it working out how you intended is encouraging.”

Joshua, 39, co-founded Chicken & Blues in 2013 with Stephen Crawford, 37.

Both are Directors of Aviary Hospitality together with Ashley Brown, 39.

The company was incorporated in 2019.

The interior design at Flamingo was carried out by KTM Design, headed by Katie Thomas, in partnership with Aston Villa and England football international, Tyrone Mings.

Danielle Sheridan, formerly with pubs, bars and restaurant group Mitchells & Butlers, is Flamingo’s General Manager.

Joshua said the name Flamingo was chosen because it perfectly summed up the venue.

He said: “It’s fun, colourful, happy and flamboyant.

“It’s also one of the most sociable creatures in the animal kingdom.

“Who doesn’t love a flamingo?”

Rolling out the brand to other communities, such as Southbourne and Ashley Cross, was a possibility in the future, he said.

Joshua added: “We’ve got a fantastic new team and have recently attracted talent from national brands such as Wagamama, Loungers, and Soho House Group.

“Flamingo has got off to a solid start.

“I really feel for many of my friends in hospitality, especially in nightclubs and events, who’ve had it particularly tough during the pandemic.

“As an independent hospitality group, we’re in a pretty good place.

“All things considered it’s been a challenging year, but we’re optimistic about what lies ahead.”

• flamingocafes.com