A pair of “bored” young women have spent months travelling the UK to dine at 150 of the Lounge chain restaurants.
Kathryn and Hannah, who met at the University of Bristol, “got the bug” while eating at their local one Friday night.
The restaurant chain has locations across the UK and offers a ‘passport’ guests can fill with unique stickers each time they visit a different venue.
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Each milestone gets visitors a different treat, from free tapas to bottles of prosecco and exclusive merchandise.
However, it wasn’t the prizes that inspired Kathryn, 24, and Hannah, 23 – who have gone viral on TikTok sharing their exploits, with videos garnering 299,000 views,
“We were bored on a Friday night and had just got the passports, so decided to challenge ourselves and see how many we could visit in 24 hours,” Kathryn, who is from the Cotswolds, told What’s The Jam.
“After that we got the bug and just couldn’t stop.
“We just kept going and never got bored so we never stopped.
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Hannah, from Essex, added: “We have been a fan of the Lounges for ages and would often visit multiple times in a week, so the challenge just felt like an extension of what we were already doing.
“Kathryn is also celiac and they’re known for their awareness of allergies, so it’s a safe and reliable place to go.
“They’re also often in convenient locations so can be visited by anyone and everyone.”
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The friends shared that they’d both struggled with their mental health and “often find it hard to get out of bed and do the things that we enjoy”.
Giving themselves this challenge has made them feel “10 times better” and has been something they do to “stop living miserably”.
Hannah said: “This challenge has given us a fun goal and something we can achieve which just makes you feel ten times better.
“It’s also been so good for talking to people even when you feel rubbish and those positive interactions instantly lift your mood.
“Lounges are a great place to go if you’re having a rubbish time – there’s as much or as little social interaction as you want.
“The fact they’re a chain with such a similar yet unique feel means that there’s no anxiety around what to expect, but it doesn’t get repetitive as each one has something different.
“We’re big fans of the charity CALM and this is something we are doing to stop living miserably.
“Collecting the stickers, and visiting the Lounges is a small goal for the greater good and is something silly when everything feels quite serious.
“We’ve visited 150 so far but there’s over 260 so we still have a way to go.
“There’s more opening all the time, so as long as they keep opening we will keep visiting.”
The two have even visited a Lounge restaurant wearing pyjamas.
Hannah said: “It was a crazy decision that we made at the last minute.
“During the challenge people often mentioned that we were always rushing between them and not lounging.
“We have used the Lounge as an extension of our house for a while so to prove the point we visited the opening of Palomo Lounge in pyjamas to really lean into the lounging vibes.
“Also to demonstrate the relaxed environment of the Lounge and that you can just come as you are.”
Kathryn and Hannah said undertaking the challenge has benefitted them in multiple ways, including making new friends.
Kathryn added: “Everyone has been really kind and has been a great thing to talk about.
“It’s helped us make new friends and grow our social circle, and I think it’s nice for people to know that we’re busy and getting out the house.
“The reaction online has been so unexpected, it’s been great to meet people who have the same love for the Lounges as we do.
“It’s also crazy to meet people in the Lounges and be recognised – people knowing who we are when we’re ordering food is crazy.”
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