Castle Quarter – Norwich’s leading social, leisure and lifestyle destination – has secured motorsports gaming concept Drive Lounge for its first location within a city centre scheme.
The virtual driving experience operator has taken unit UU08, located on the ground of Castle Quarter and totalling 1,606sq ft, on a trial six-month licence. As well as multi-format racing simulators, Drive Lounge will also provide a drinks and snacks offering to gamers between drives.
Drive Lounge is a new virtual motorsports concept, fusing cutting-edge racing simulation with a vibrant bar environment to create entertaining and immersive spaces in which anyone can socialise, play, watch, learn and have fun. Its first location opened in Manchester in H1 2024.
The arrival of Drive Lounge further strengthens the competitive socialising offer at Castle Quarter, which has repositioned towards innovative social, leisure and lifestyle operators while retaining its traditional retail strength. The picot has brought major new brands to the destination, including Boom Battle Bar, Putt Putt Noodle and Escape Hunt.
Will Ashdown, Asset Manager at RivingtonHark, said: “Gaming experiences such as Drive Lounge are at the cutting edge of the competitive socialising and leisure sectors and as such it is fantastic to see its arrival at Castle Quarter, further expanding the range of entertainment options it has to offer. That this is Drive Lounge’s first in-centre operation highlights the success of the repositioning we have undertaken, putting a greater emphasis on the social, leisure and lifestyle options that offer a new role for city centre destinations.”
