Big Fang Collective will remain a “switch-hitter brand,” according to co-founder Kip Piper, who plans to introduce several brand new concepts over the next 12 months.

Founded in 2016 by Piper and Dan Bolger, the group has evolved from the original Ghetto Golf concept into a multi-faceted business with six locations across the UK, including Liverpool, Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow, Sheffield and Cardiff.

The group previously renovated the 25,000 sq ft Cains Brewery in Liverpool, working with local artists, DJs and creatives to transform the dilapidated space into an experiential entertainment venue, filling every square foot with street art and installations (and 18 holes of crazy golf).

Thanks to significant support from SME lender ThinCats, Big Fang Collective is now focused on further expansion, with new openings in Bristol, London and Nottingham.

Speaking to MCA at the brand’s opening location, Piper says that for Big Fang, this is all about becoming a brand that is “synonymous with experiential and competitive socialization.”

This comes after the group expanded to bring multiple concepts under one roof, including its own pizzeria Nothing Cheezy and Big Fang Karaoke, an immersive karaoke destination, both of which launched at the Liverpool venue last year.

“We see a critical mass for us with multi-concepts,” Piper said. “So as we look at what’s next, there’s golf, there’s karaoke rolling out, and there’s more concepts that we’re going to unveil this year.”

“We like to be a can-do brand,” adds Piper, stressing that we can thrive in a variety of environments, whether it’s a former supermarket in Nottingham or a historic brewery in Liverpool.

“The vision is that we want to create multi-concept spaces for communal bar areas, and it’s all about building that hive of activity. It’s also about showcasing our ability to merge different concepts and create a destination journey.”

Part of that strategy includes the ability to have smaller off-shoots, which adapt to different site sizes and location types. “While we have these colossal spaces where we’re going to do multi-concepts, we also want to be able to use those to split.

“We might not always get a 20,000-40,000 square foot warehouse space. We might get 7,000 square feet in a city center, somewhere where we can put Big Fang Karaoke, as a recognized brand.

“We want to be a household name in our industry, so while there is a lot of power in the concepts all coming together, we also strive for that reputational value to be able to support individual, standalone concepts,” he adds.

Piper uses supermarket giant Tesco as a comparison for the location.

“Let’s say we want a Tesco supermarket in every major city. Then we would look at larger cities and try, for example, a nine-hole golf concept, which would be similar to the Tesco Metro example. So it’s all about adapting effectively.”

After the brand opened its first location in Cardiff city centre last year, Piper says it has really boosted plans to continue looking for similar locations.

“Cardiff is our best location yet. Financially and aesthetically it’s everything we expected it to be, and that’s given us real confidence. So while we still love our warehouse model, we’re really excited about what we can do with these new spaces,” he adds.

London is calling

This vision is already becoming a reality with upcoming openings in Bristol, Nottingham and London, with Piper stressing the importance of making an impression.

“You get one chance to make your mark on London. On our journey, that will be site number nine. We have so much under our belt that when we get to London, we really want to show what we are about.

“I like to think that everything within the M25 operates in a different atmosphere. You might as well open in America, instead of the rest of the country.

He still wants to show the brand’s roots, though. “There’s so much creativity coming out of the North at the moment, but then again there are so many brands in London that I look up to that are doing incredible things. So with the London location we’re really putting every bit of ourselves into it.”

Once these upcoming openings are completed, international expansion is definitely on the agenda, according to Piper.

“We’ve done quite a lot of research into where we fit overseas. And we’ve had a lot of interest so far. We feel like we need to be in London first, and while we’ll still be rolling out in the UK and adding additional concepts, (expanding internationally) is something we’re really excited about.”

‘Stimulated by competition’

Now that the conversation has turned back to the UK, Piper says the housing market is starting to open up, partly due to an increased ‘willingness’ from landlords

He explains: “When we first started, it was really hard to explain to hosts what competitive socializing was and what was experiential.

“In the past, we had to take landlords to a location and actually walk around it to really let them feel what it was like. So there’s definitely been a shift, because the market has grown as well.”

He reflects: “I feel like we’ve become an industry. There was a time when people saw it as a trend, but now it’s established. The UK is leading the way and I’m proud to be part of that movement.”

This dedication is evident in Big Fang’s investment in design, manufacturing and headquarters capabilities, ensuring that each new location surpasses the last.

Piper describes the brand, in addition to entertainment, as a “construction and manufacturing company.”

“We’ve doubled down on our commitment to the experiential sector, so we feel like, while golf is always something we’re going to do, we’ve left so much room for what comes next.

“Our pivot point is to stay at the forefront of competitive socialization and experiential. We feel like we’re growing with the industry, and we’re learning new tricks and learning what people are increasingly enjoying.

“As an arts-based company, that’s what energizes us. I get energized by competition, and for us, we always have to improve on our last location, that’s how we see it.”