Boom Battle Bar plans to grow from 29 sites to at least 50 venues by 2030, with franchising at the centre of its strategy. Its new owner, the Frasers Group-backed operator We Do Play, is recruiting UK franchise partners for large towns and cities and is holding talks with overseas master franchise candidates, joining the leisure franchises in the UK looking for operators.
The announcement comes days after XP Factory sold the competitive socialising brand. In an agreement dated 28 September 2026, the listed group agreed to sell BBB Franchise Ltd, which holds the Boom business, to F.O Twenty-Four Ltd for up to £11 million: £5 million in cash upfront and up to £6 million in earn-outs over three years.
At that date Boom operated 24 owner-operated sites and five franchise sites, all in the UK. We Do Play describes the move as a reacquisition of the brand. Boom combines competitive games with cocktails, food and entertainment, and the group says it plans to reinvest everything back into the company over the next couple of years.
A franchise-led growth plan
We Do Play says franchising will be central to the expansion and that it is actively seeking partners for untapped large towns and cities across the UK. Richard Beese, founder and chief executive of We Do Play, said the focus is on investing in the customer experience while “accelerating expansion through franchising”. Overseas, the group says discussions are under way with prospective master franchise partners, without naming markets. Franchise fees, territory terms and the number of franchised venues the group is aiming for are not published in the announcement.
Investment in games and technology
Investment is due to begin in early 2027 and run over about two years, with no amount stated. New attractions include Virtual Archery with real bows, Virtual Mini Golf with authentic putters, and a racing experience in which up to eight players drive miniature cars by remote control around a track featuring London landmarks. The group also plans AI-powered customer-service agents to handle up to 99 per cent of routine interactions, a technology it says is already used across the wider We Do Play group.
Property requirements
Alongside franchising, We Do Play is looking for its own premises of 7,000 sq ft to 20,000 sq ft, with priority for prominent, high-footfall sites in major towns and cities.
Why XP Factory sold the brand
XP Factory said the disposal lets it focus exclusively on rolling out Escape Hunt, its escape-room brand, with a target of at least 50 UK owner-operated Escape Hunt sites by the end of March 2031. The cash received is to reduce bank debt and fund working capital. The Morning Advertiser reported that seven Boom sites share premises with Escape Hunt, and that both businesses will keep operating at those sites after the sale.
What the announcement leaves open
The announcement does not say how many of the 50-plus venues would be franchised rather than owner-operated, which towns are priority targets, or how much will be invested. It gives no timetable for the first new franchise openings. The franchise network stood at five sites in XP Factory’s September figures, against a target of at least 50 venues in total. Neither the franchise terms nor the overseas markets under discussion have been disclosed.
