Tonight Josephine, described as a female-led cocktail lounge, to open next month
CAROLINE Street is to have a magenta makeover as the recently shut Charleston’s steakhouse will be transformed into a Tonight Josephine bar.
This will be the fifth Tonight Josephine bar to open in the UK. The others in London and Birmingham are known for their cocktails with names like Prom Queen, Violet Femme and Spill the Tea.
Evie Anderson, 22, from Oxford who visited a Tonight Josephine bar in London, said Cardiff had a lot to look forward to.
“It was a really great environment and vibe – I loved the nostalgic music. It was also really aesthetic inside too with lots of photo opportunities and a photo booth. The drinks were lush and there was a clear feminist atmosphere,” she said.
The chain has taken a stance on issues such as the #FreeBritney movement, supporting the American pop star, Britney Spears in her fight to end the conservatorship of her father by holding “Britney brunches” with tribute acts.
The bars are named after Empress Joséphine, the first wife of Napoleon. She was known as a promiscuous woman with a luxurious and wealthy lifestyle during the 1800s.
Tonight Josephine has identified itself as “Joséphine’s girl gang” or the “bande de filles”, admiring her audacity in a time when women had less freedom.
Tom Kidd, the founder of the Adventure Bar Group, which owns Tonight Josephine, said: “We are the pioneers for female-led cocktail bars, championing the notion that every woman deserves to party hard, feel safe and be unapologetically themselves.
“The idea was not just to create a bad-ass space for girls to let loose but create a community of empowered women along the way.”
The bars boast a large following in the LGBTQ+ community, encouraged by drag brunches and other themed events.
Organisers say the venue can accommodate 290 people each night and will create 30 new jobs in the city.
Mr Kidd added: “We love Cardiff and have admired its vibrance and hospitality scene for some time. We’ve had such an amazing reaction to the concept so far. We can’t wait to open our doors to the people of Cardiff in true Tonight Josephine style.“
