The design and F&B revolution that has happened in the city centre has not yet truly spread into more suburban or rural areas. This is evident in the typical roadside building and offering of the UK. Mollie’s is a new concept that has been developed by the creative team behind Soho House to reinvent the roadside. Located in Buckland, Oxfordshire, Mollie's is a motel, diner and drive-thru with a nod to 1950s America. Adjacent to the A420, the main road linking Oxford and Swindon, it is on the site of an old Little Chef, which was demolished as part of construction.
At the back of the site, surrounded by existing trees, the motel is a 79 bedroom new building, inspired by its setting, with a warm contemporary approach to the architecture and design. Exterior and interior detailing run seamlessly together and the rooms inhabit that rare space of stylish, yet simple and affordable, democratising design by making it accessible to all.
The 135 cover new build diner directly references the American roadside heyday, with large neon Mollie’s signage running along the eaves of the building calling out to the road. Inside the feel is distinctly diner but made relevant to its time, with signature banquettes, walnut timber walls and joinery and feature chrome lighting. All elements contribute to create the overall atmosphere.
