News: Forge Island loses restaurant brands as challenging trading conditions bite
A company connected to the restaurant operator that signed up to open a number of brands in Rotherham town centre has gone into liquidation.
Rotherham Council has confirmed that just one of the operator's brands is now coming to Rotherham.
Forge Island is the town centre's new landmark leisure destination being delivered by the council in partnership with Muse. The £47m development is anchored by an 8-screen boutique cinema operated by The Arc Cinema and a 69-roomed Travelodge Hotel.
With the hotel now open and the cinema slated to begin screening films in September, the food and drink units were handed over on July 1 2024.
The partners had celebrated the development being fully let over a year before opening, announcing deals that would see six independent restaurants open on the riverside, including Casa Peri Peri, Estabulo, Sakku Samba, Caffé Noor, Cow & Cream and The Rustic Pizza Company.
A triple-header deal was signed with Thistle Group in 2022 who would bring Casa Peri Peri, Estabulo Rodizio/Sakku Samba as a dual-branded concept, and Caffé Noor.
On July 8, Dabangg Hospitality Group Ltd T/A Estabulo Rodizio Bar & Grill went into liquidation. Dabangg shares a director with Thistle Property Holdings Group Ltd.
Dabangg Hospitality's website has gone offline but its LinkedIn page explains that it is "a prominent and visionary company that owns and operates five successful restaurant companies: Estabulo, Sakkusamba, Fleur, Caffe Noor, and Sakku."
Documents show that HMRC applied to the courts to have Wakefield-based Dabangg Hospitality Group Ltd wound up. A week later, Clark Business Recovery Limited was appointed as liquidator.
Further documents show that the group owed £7m to HMRC - £2.7m regarding PAYE and £4.3m regarding VAT.
Sakku Samba venues in Manchester and Bradford have recently closed but company directors appear unfazed by the liquidation with new companies created and new venues opening, including Raft in Manchester and Habbibi in Leeds.
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Back in Rotherham, the Forge Island website now only shows two outlets on its food and drink page - The Rustic Pizza Company and Caffé Noor.
Cow & Cream closed its remaining Barnsley store in September 2023, with the burger and shakes specialist stating that food cost prices, energy prices and packaging costs had made providing a value for money product impossible for them to achieve.
Rotherham Council’s Interim Strategic Director for Regeneration and Environment Andrew Bramidge said: “Unfortunately due to challenging trading conditions and circumstances beyond anyone’s control, operators have not been able to bring forward all the planned eateries for Forge Island at the current time.
“However, Thistle Group remains committed to Rotherham and will open its luxury coffee shop brand, Café Noor, at the gateway of the site as intended. Meanwhile, Travelodge hotel is already open on site and welcoming guests, The Arc Cinema is on track to open in early September, and Rustic Pizza is due to open its doors to the public this summer.
"Alongside our development partners Muse, we are already in discussion with a number of other potential operators who have expressed an interest in the site, and we will make further announcements about these in due course when agreements are reached."
Rotherham Council acquired the site in 2017 following the move accross town by Tesco. A 250 year lease to Muse was initially proposed before the council stepped in with the upfront costs.
The council expects that the repayment of capital costs will be met wholly or largely over the long term by revenue generated from commercial activity in the Forge Island development. At the time, the cabinet heard that the longer-term financial risks that the project presents relate to the Council’s ability to maintain the incomes levels from the lettings, car parking and business rates.
Forge Island website
Images: Estabulo / facebook /Chris Read / twitter
Rotherham Council has confirmed that just one of the operator's brands is now coming to Rotherham.
Forge Island is the town centre's new landmark leisure destination being delivered by the council in partnership with Muse. The £47m development is anchored by an 8-screen boutique cinema operated by The Arc Cinema and a 69-roomed Travelodge Hotel.
With the hotel now open and the cinema slated to begin screening films in September, the food and drink units were handed over on July 1 2024.
The partners had celebrated the development being fully let over a year before opening, announcing deals that would see six independent restaurants open on the riverside, including Casa Peri Peri, Estabulo, Sakku Samba, Caffé Noor, Cow & Cream and The Rustic Pizza Company.
A triple-header deal was signed with Thistle Group in 2022 who would bring Casa Peri Peri, Estabulo Rodizio/Sakku Samba as a dual-branded concept, and Caffé Noor.
On July 8, Dabangg Hospitality Group Ltd T/A Estabulo Rodizio Bar & Grill went into liquidation. Dabangg shares a director with Thistle Property Holdings Group Ltd.
Dabangg Hospitality's website has gone offline but its LinkedIn page explains that it is "a prominent and visionary company that owns and operates five successful restaurant companies: Estabulo, Sakkusamba, Fleur, Caffe Noor, and Sakku."
Documents show that HMRC applied to the courts to have Wakefield-based Dabangg Hospitality Group Ltd wound up. A week later, Clark Business Recovery Limited was appointed as liquidator.
Further documents show that the group owed £7m to HMRC - £2.7m regarding PAYE and £4.3m regarding VAT.
Sakku Samba venues in Manchester and Bradford have recently closed but company directors appear unfazed by the liquidation with new companies created and new venues opening, including Raft in Manchester and Habbibi in Leeds.
Advertisement
Back in Rotherham, the Forge Island website now only shows two outlets on its food and drink page - The Rustic Pizza Company and Caffé Noor.
Cow & Cream closed its remaining Barnsley store in September 2023, with the burger and shakes specialist stating that food cost prices, energy prices and packaging costs had made providing a value for money product impossible for them to achieve.
Rotherham Council’s Interim Strategic Director for Regeneration and Environment Andrew Bramidge said: “Unfortunately due to challenging trading conditions and circumstances beyond anyone’s control, operators have not been able to bring forward all the planned eateries for Forge Island at the current time.
“However, Thistle Group remains committed to Rotherham and will open its luxury coffee shop brand, Café Noor, at the gateway of the site as intended. Meanwhile, Travelodge hotel is already open on site and welcoming guests, The Arc Cinema is on track to open in early September, and Rustic Pizza is due to open its doors to the public this summer.
"Alongside our development partners Muse, we are already in discussion with a number of other potential operators who have expressed an interest in the site, and we will make further announcements about these in due course when agreements are reached."
Rotherham Council has fully funded the Forge Island scheme after its Cabinet approved an increase in the Council’s Capital Programme in 2022 to cover the £46.8m costs which were expected to be covered by the authority's own borrowing and capital resources.It’s coming… pic.twitter.com/MrUJWSDJNs
— Chris Read (@christophe_read) July 9, 2024
Rotherham Council acquired the site in 2017 following the move accross town by Tesco. A 250 year lease to Muse was initially proposed before the council stepped in with the upfront costs.
The council expects that the repayment of capital costs will be met wholly or largely over the long term by revenue generated from commercial activity in the Forge Island development. At the time, the cabinet heard that the longer-term financial risks that the project presents relate to the Council’s ability to maintain the incomes levels from the lettings, car parking and business rates.
Forge Island website
Images: Estabulo / facebook /Chris Read / twitter
66 comments:
Not so lovely stuff.
It was nice that smaller chains and independents were announced at Forge Island but the risk was always there that this would happen.
There should've been at least a couple of large national chains. I know they're not everyone's cup of tea but popular chains would almost guarantee to bring in custom to the area.
Oh well,looks like some newly built boarded up buildings !
Agreed but hopefully someone will take the place, as a town we need to get behind whatever does.
That's the spirit.
It's a shame this has happened, though a lot of hospitality companies are struggling at the moment. Hopefully other businesses will be interested in the development. As others have commented attracting one or two national chains would make this more of a draw.
Really want this to be a success , but the more I go into Rotherham town centre and look at the people who are down there I really have my doubts,I hope I'm wrong, especially as people who actually pay council will be paying for this for years.
I'm sure the council will offer some incentive, even if someone only comes in for a few years with favourable rates.
Burger King, Yo Sushi, Pizza Express, Akbars?
Who do you mean? Me and my wife go into town (as of course must you).
I only go into town on match days for a couple beers.The people I'm referring too(the ones who now live in.the town centre, immigrants, druggies,work.shy)don't pay council tax ,so they won't be paying for this venture for years!
There are many rumours going around town that the new Travelodge is being used to house asylum seekers. I'm assuming that this is a load of rubbish but can anyone confirm or deny?
Travelodge would be crazy to use a brand new hotel in this way.
That’s what I thought, hopefully nothing more than a rumour.
Maybe they are trying to attract a more sophisticated clientele.
Ooo what a funny individual you are. Yawn.
A bit late to be getting out of bed on the wrong side Chuckles.
Travelodge staff have been seen recruiting outside the County.
Can the fellow who keeps complaining about unfunny comments let us know who/what he finds amusing?
I’ve always wondered what it’d be like to be a complete cretin. Maybe you could tell me what it’s like?
What kind of person wonders what it's like to be a cretin?
A poster with ambition.
"Cretin" is a horrible word used by horrible people.
You are a real piece of work.
Me, there seems to be a lot of them about, particularly on here, and I often wonder how terrible their life must be. It must be the empath in me.
Truth hurts eh?
Thank you!
To be honest I didn’t want to use the word cretin, but the other word beginning with the same letter never makes it past the admin.
Agree 👍
When people start sentences with "To be honest", it means that they usually aren't.
So there's only one other word beginning with the letter C? What a limited vocabulary you have. Still, more than enough for the County I would imagine.
You seem to spend quite a lot of time thinking about cretins and their lives. Still, it's nice to have a hobby.
So you use the C bomb regularly then?
It was completely honest, I can assure you.
Of course not, just when it’s necessary.
To be honest, I believe you.
So at family gatherings and parents evenings then.
And when they say "I can assure you", they are probably Boris Johnson.
Of course not, You’ve never invited me to one of your family gatherings
All in all, a right Tom Pepper.
Watch my lips Monica....
Surely it was Monica who needed to watch her lips.
Boris Johnson was a liar?
I find that hard to believe.
You'll have the humour police after you if you're not careful.
Oh, you mean PC Mardybum.
I don't think anyone with a half decent sense of humour would find much to laugh about on here. It's all quite tragic.
We are not amused!
I'm pretty sure people have a chuckle at the stuff you post.
The essence of tragedy is to know the end.
And you would know the qualities of a half decent sense of humour how?
By having one.
Because he's half decent
This is no laughing matter. Some people do not have a sense of humour
You would not mock someone who did not have the sense of sight or hearing. So why laugh at someone who is unable to laugh. It's not funny and it's not clever.
Anyone affected by this post can access support through a Glum Faces self help group at howticklediam. co
uk
Now Ken Dodd really was funny. Even the chappie with the half decent sense of humour would have to admit that.
Well I can't understand why someone who is not fully decent would want to boast about it. He wouldn't have gotten away with it in Her Majesty's Armed Forces.
Is half-decent exposure a criminal offence?
Only if it involves animals.
What a weird comment to make.
How so? You don't believe animals should be safeguarded?
Why would your mind even think of that?
Is it possible to think with anything other than your mind?
Domestic pets should not be allowed to watch TV after 8pm unless part of a plan agreed with your vet
Only if you are a brick throwing thug, in which case you don't have a mind.
I think we have a humourless thought policeman on the force.
How could your thought process possibly think about thinking a thought like that?
Well it was a bit thoughtless.
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