Popular bar chain to close down 12 venues in WEEKS – see the full list of locations and if one’s going near you
A POPULAR bar chain has confirmed plans to shut down 12 venues within weeks in a blow for punters.
Revolution Bars Group has told The Sun it will shutter 11 locations on August 10 as part of a major overhaul.
It added a further site will close, or has already closed, but could not confirm the exact location.
The chain currently operates 38 Revolution branded sites across the UK.
Bars will be welcoming in guests for the final time in Blackpool, Chester and Norwich next month.
Meanwhile, bars in Edinburgh and Inverness, Scotland, will be shuttering permanently after two further sites closed in Torquay and Southend in June.
This is the full list of 11 locations which are confirmed to close on August 10:
- Blackpool
- Chester
- Deansgate Locks, Manchester
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Inverness, Scotland
- Leadenhall
- Loughborough
- Norwich
- Hockley, Nottingham
- Stafford
- King Street, Wigan
In April, Revolution Bars Group, which also runs 22 gastro pubs, announced plans for a major restructure of the company.
It said it was looking at imposing a rent reduction on around 14 of its sites to make them more profitable after revealing cost of living pressures were affecting sales.
It added it was planning to raise £12.5million from investors to return to profit.
It also put itself up for sale in March.
However, late last month the chain rejected a proposed offer from rival Nightcap and then closed its formal sales process.
At the time of closing the sales process it warned creditors the group faced administration if restructuring plans were not backed.
The chain also had its shares suspended from the London Stock Exchange in April after it delayed publishing its financial results.
Shares jumped 40% after the suspension was lifted.
At the start of the year, the chain said it had had its best Christmas trading period for four years.
But in the same month it added it would “significantly reduce expenditure” and put back all refurbishments and said dozens of its venues remained “at risk of closing”.
It is not the first time in recent years Revolution Bars Group has announced plans to close sites.
In 2020, the bar chain announced plans to shutter six sites as it struggled to keep afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.
What is happening in the hospitality industry?
Food and drink chains in general have been suffering as the cost of living has led to fewer people spending on eating out.
Businesses had been struggling to bounce back after the pandemic, only to be hit with soaring energy bills and inflation.
Multiple chains have been affected, resulting in big-name brands like Wetherspoons and Frankie & Benny’s closing branches.
Some chains have not survived, Byron Burger fell into administration last year, with owners saying it would result in the loss of over 200 jobs.
Pizza giant Papa Johns has announced plans in recent months to shut down 43 of its stores.
Tasty, the owner of Wildwood, said it will shutter the sites as part of major restructuring plans.
The brand also announced plans to close 20 loss-making restaurants after a “challenging” start to the year.
Britain’s biggest pub company, Stonegate, has raised fears about its survival as it races to plug its debts.
Stonegate owns 4,432 sites across the UK under the Slug & Lettuce, Be at One, Sports Bar & Grill brands and 350 traditional style pubs under its “Proper Pubs” banner.
Retailers closing stores in 2024
RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
- Argos – The brand announced plans to close 100 standalone UK branches last year as it looks to move away from the high street and focus on expanding its presence in supermarkets.
- B&Q – The chain has over 300 shops across the UK, so chances are you have one near you, but some stores have closed in recent months.
- Boots – The health and beauty chain announced that it would be closing 300 stores last July. Closures are ongoing and this will see the retailer’s estate reduced from 2,200 to 1,900 shops.
- Clintons – Clintons mulled plans to close 38 shops in a bid to avoid insolvency late last year. We’ve listed the stores affected.
- Costa Coffee – The caffeine giant has around 2,000 sites nationwide, so chances are you’ll have one near you. The chain has shut the doors to dozens of its sites recently. We’ve revealed which stores are due to close this year.
- Iceland – The supermarket has more than 900 stores but closed nearly two dozen sites in 2023, and more selected shops are due to shut.
- Lidl – The supermarket, which has 950 stores, is changing up shop locations, which has meant that some stores have to close. But the retailer is also looking to open 12 new supermarkets.
- M&S – M&S, which runs 405 stores across the country, has been closing a string of branches across the country in a blow for shoppers. It’s not all bad news, though, because the chain also has big plans to open dozens of new shops as well.
- Trespass – The firm announced in July last year that it was closing six branches, but more are on the way.
- WHSmith – The retail giant, which runs over 1,100 stores, has shuttered eight stores since March 2023, but more are coming.
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