Cow & Sow has reopened its original Bristol restaurant in Queen Square following an extensive refurbishment, marking the start of a six-figure investment programme across the growing restaurant group.
The independent steakhouse brand, which now operates two restaurants in Bristol and one in Birmingham, as well as delivering match-day experiences for Bristol City and Bristol Bears fans at Ashton Gate, has upgraded the kitchen, bar and dining area at its Queen Square site. The refurbishment includes a new dry-aged meat fridge, a premium wine fridge and an expanded kitchen designed to help the team serve more guests.
The investment follows a strong trading period for Cow & Sow, with the business reporting a 32% uplift in sales in December compared with the previous year.
Across its three restaurants, the group served 14,000 covers during December, a 24.5% increase on December 2024. The brand also generated more than £50,000 through gift card sales and places at its Steak Education events.
Cow & Sow said the Queen Square refurbishment was partly driven by growing demand, with pre-bookings up 20% in 2025 compared with the previous year.
The restaurant has also been given a new look, with warm woods, rich green and deep orange tones, and updated soft furnishings introduced across the dining space.
The business has also seen growth through its loyalty scheme, The Butcher’s Club, which now has more than 12,000 members. The digital scheme, which links to customers’ phone wallets, offers both free and paid membership options and has generated 15% of Cow & Sow’s sales since launching.
The Butcher’s Club was recently named Best Use of Tech at the 2026 Restaurant Marketer and Innovator Awards.
A Cow & Sow spokesperson said:
It’s particularly special to start our reinvigoration efforts with Queen Square, as it was the first Cow & Sow restaurant we opened in 2022.
Last year, we had an increase of 20% in bookings compared to the previous year, so being able to extend our kitchen to give us the space to cater to even more guests was really important to us. We’re looking forward to seeing where 2026 takes us across the rest of the portfolio.
