Everyman cinema chain eyes London expansion as sales soar 49%

The boutique Everyman cinemas chain is eyeing more sites in London it said as its boss revealed a blockbuster 49% surge in sales.

The 19-venues chain, known for selling wine, burgers and olives alongside the conventional popcorn offering, wants to open up to eight more cinemas in the capital over the next three years.

Chief executive Crispin Lilly said: “There are a lot of former cinemas in old buildings that can often be a noose around their owner’s neck because they are hard to redevelop. These are the sites we are looking to buy.”

Everyman welcomed more than 700,000 customers in the six months to June 30, pushing revenue to £12.1 million from £8.2 million.

Owing to investments in the estate, it made a loss of £670,000, widening from a £430,000 loss the prior year.

The firm added that films including Finding Dory boosted sales over the summer.

Shares in Everyman, whose London cinemas include Baker Street and Muswell Hill, lost 2.5p to 107p.