There is a new hotspot for table tennis in London as Bounce celebrates the opening of its second venue.
A VIP launch party welcomed more than 450 guests to Bounce Shoreditch, which features 17 ping pong tables and a private room with three more.
London 2012 medallist and recently engaged diver Tom Daley, footballer Adebayo Akinfenwa and actress Brooke Kinsella were among the guests treated to a UV graffiti spectacle, drinks, dining and tunes. Bounce’s Games Makers and staff clad in full UV morphsuits also added to the high energy vibe.
Bounce Shoreditch, at 239-241 Old Street, opens following the resounding success of its flagship venue in Farringdon. As well as the ping-pong tables and bar, it also has an ultra-modern, open-plan restaurant with a traditional 25-foot pizza counter, serving the finest in traditional Italian pizzas, alongside a delicious selection of antipasti, canapés and more.
“Our second venue is a very exciting step for us as we grow the Bounce brand and add to Shoreditch’s eclectic offerings. The amazing success of the launch party and the fantastic reception we received sets the precedent for many more exciting times to come for Bounce,” said Adam Breeden, CEO and co-founder of Bounce.
Bounce is also due to open its first international venue in Chicago US in early 2016, with further planned openings in the US and Asia.
Among the guests were Adrian Leigh and Andrew Battley from Pongathon. Andrew said: “Places like Bounce are hugely important to social table tennis – just look around at the launch of this new venue and you see hundreds of people all enjoying themselves and wanting to play. Without places like Bounce these people would not be involved in table tennis at all!
“Every city and town needs a place like Bounce to help grow the social element of the game. There are hundreds of thousands of people out there that would come regularly to a place like this – it’s social, accessible, and so much fun.”
Enjoying the night was 28-year-old Alex, who works in IT consumables. He said: “I’ve never been to a Table Tennis bar before. It’s a really fun and sociable way to spend an evening and I would never have played table tennis had I not been invited to come here by my friend.”