Leisure group’s growth calls for interior work

First Leisure Corporation is on the hunt for interior designers as it expands its bingo, disco and health and fitness empire.

The group has already chosen five designers to work on seven new bingo halls planned to open before August. They are Tibbatts Associates; Group Northern Design; Bignell Shacklady Ewing; Corstorphine & Wright; and Esquisse Design.

However, First Leisure technical services director Shaun Doyle says: “It’s not a closed shop. We will continue to interview designers throughout the year.”

Two of the first new halls – due to open in March – are at Bradford, where interiors are by Bignell Shacklady Ewing, and at Manchester, with design by Tibbatts Associates.

The group has a stable of more than eight designers to work on the 20 new discos planned for the next two or three years and will look for other consultancies which can give the venues “the wow factor”, says Doyle.

McNally Design in Dublin was responsible for the interiors of First Leisure’s Vaults disco which opened in December at Kingston upon Thames.

First Leisure is also looking to develop its health and fitness operations at new and existing sites around the country.

“We have made decisions on four design groups and are continuing to interview,” says Doyle.

Pelican Group is planning to open 30 new restaurants this year with interiors by its two roster consultancies. David Losasso is responsible for the group’s Mamma Amalfi and Sheila’s venues, and David Collins is working on interiors of an unknown number of Dme cafs and for an estimated 15 new Caf Rouge restaurants.

Marketing communications consultancy Harvey Fuchs has developed The Merchant Larder, the first retail brand for family food business Leathams Larder. Packaging was created in conjunction with Truran Jory.

Stocks Austin Sice has designed the Capital Radio group’s 1994 annual report and accounts using dramatic typography to reflect the group’s increased portfolio of ten radio stations. Described by the consultancy as `stimulating and exciting visual images’, the series of messages aims to reinforce Capital’s `dynamism’.