News: Rotherham restaurant rebrands as sports bar & grill
A popular Rotherham restaurant that closed suddenly in May has rebooted its social media and online presence, hinting that a new future is about to kick off at the venue.
Rothbiz reported that "heartbroken" operators at The Big Smoke were closing the restaurant on the edge of Rotherham town centre in the face of rising costs.
Now The Big Smoke Facebook page has been rebranded as The Press Box - a new sports bar in Rotherham that is set to open in August.
The move makes sense given the family operators were also involved in the Sport Box in Rotherham town centre that has recently changed hands again.
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A new website explains: "Rotherham just got its game-changer.
"Fourteen screens showing multiple sports at once, so you’ll never miss the action. Proper sports bar atmosphere with sports bar food, cold beer, and cocktails that will keep you coming back.
"But we’ve gone further than just screens and good grub. Golf simulator featuring world-class courses for when you want to test your swing. Two 22-foot shuffleboards perfect for group competitions. Three traditional dart boards plus one interactive lane. A fussball table. Pool tables for serious matches and friendly rivalries. The Press Box has everything you need for mate dates and competitive sessions that settle debates once and for all."
The venue promises to be the destination for big sporting events, from "Masters tournaments with prize competitions to Super Bowl parties with corn dogs."
With a 4,600 sq ft ground floor, The Big Smoke opened during COVID in 2020 "dedicated to the majesty of meats," taking on the former Florence Nightingale pub at Moorgate, which was previously turned into a restaurant and operated as Modern China.
A post regarding the closure, which was with immediate effect, said: "Due to rising costs and mounting financial pressures, we’ve found ourselves in an impossible position.
"Since April 1st, our overheads and supplier costs have soared, driven by changes brought in by a government that feels completely out of touch with the realities of small, independent businesses like ours. We’ve done everything we can, but the numbers just don’t add up anymore."
The Press Box Rotherham website
Images: Press Box / Google Maps
Rothbiz reported that "heartbroken" operators at The Big Smoke were closing the restaurant on the edge of Rotherham town centre in the face of rising costs.
Now The Big Smoke Facebook page has been rebranded as The Press Box - a new sports bar in Rotherham that is set to open in August.
The move makes sense given the family operators were also involved in the Sport Box in Rotherham town centre that has recently changed hands again.
Advertisement
A new website explains: "Rotherham just got its game-changer.
"Fourteen screens showing multiple sports at once, so you’ll never miss the action. Proper sports bar atmosphere with sports bar food, cold beer, and cocktails that will keep you coming back.
"But we’ve gone further than just screens and good grub. Golf simulator featuring world-class courses for when you want to test your swing. Two 22-foot shuffleboards perfect for group competitions. Three traditional dart boards plus one interactive lane. A fussball table. Pool tables for serious matches and friendly rivalries. The Press Box has everything you need for mate dates and competitive sessions that settle debates once and for all."
The venue promises to be the destination for big sporting events, from "Masters tournaments with prize competitions to Super Bowl parties with corn dogs."
A post regarding the closure, which was with immediate effect, said: "Due to rising costs and mounting financial pressures, we’ve found ourselves in an impossible position.
"Since April 1st, our overheads and supplier costs have soared, driven by changes brought in by a government that feels completely out of touch with the realities of small, independent businesses like ours. We’ve done everything we can, but the numbers just don’t add up anymore."
The Press Box Rotherham website
Images: Press Box / Google Maps
34 comments:
If this is being run by the same family, have they now found a way to overcome the increasing overhead and supplier costs that they previously blamed on the government for the demise of their last business?
I feel for everyone that lost their jobs, the fact the same owner is still behind the scenes after letting staff go without being able to pay for their bills because of liquidation.. all sounds like a scandal to me
When The Big Smoke closed their social media comment was blaming Government increases from 1st April making their business unviable, yet here we are less than 3mths later and they're reopening in a fully refurbished venue. Could this money have been better spent keeping those who lost their job employed or paying the bills from the liquidation?
What's problem,it's a different sort of business,it's the real world,things close and set up again,with different business goals .I've had it happen to me several times,just move on and get another job, there's plenty around!
No doubt he will have a plausible explanation.
And no doubt he will share it very soon.
If you can't see a problem, I wouldn't like the misfortune of working for you.
DISCUSTIN!
What kind of jobs would they be?
Utterly disgusting ! They closed the venue citing “ rising costs”, failed to pay their suppliers thousands of pounds, failed to pay their staff wages due, and then the money that should’ve been paid to staff and suppliers is spent revamping / rebranding. It’s not the first time the owners have done this.
How are people who do this sort of thing not held accountable. Many Millers fans lost money to the landlord of the Hare and Hounds up Wellgate
who disappeared with a fund to fly fans to a match and later started running a pub elsewhere in the country.
He has,so read it instead of spouting off
That was a character called Lee Mills who disappeared with over 16 grand that Millers fans had lodged with him to organise a flight to Plymouth.
It won't be a "game changer" for me. I'll spend my money elsewhere.
When and where was that then?
Where has a plausible explanation been given?
DISCUSTARD!
Or any explanation at all?
Or Datcustard?
Something "just doesn't add up" alright
Florence would be turning in her grave
More like "taken into custardy".
So does the Press Box not have the same financial pressures as the Big Smoke and does it not still have to operate under a government that is "completely out of touch with the realities of small independent businesses"?
Be interesting to see how they fare this time round
It was quite funny until you ruined it. Well done.
How about the Ravenfield arms, sports box and Cal’s Kitchen cafe and possibly others, all owned by the same company (Company name recently changed after the closure of big smoke) and all still trading despite the same financial pressures, post anything of this nature on their socials and it is immediately deleted.
Then we are fortunate that we can express our distaste about such behaviour on this forum without being censored.
Yes, we are fortunate in that respect although the downside is that we are treated to the nonsense posted by Mr Me, those who condone sharp business practices and the ramblings of Brexiteers.
Looking on companies house the same Director of this business and The Big Smoke has had several companies, all of which have been liquidated, some of which owed tens of thousands in unpaid VAT. Additionally for some of the companies liquidated the assets have been purchased by an asset company. Guess who is the director of that! And they have the cheek to blame the Government for their demise when they are not paying their taxes.
Sounds about right
The sports box used to be theirs along with three cranes but haven't been their since mid 2024 when other party's took over both.
The new sports box and cals kitchen are nothing to do with the owners of the Ravenfield arms and big smoke.
That's right and the Three Cranes is now well run.
It's very popular on Millers match days.
I have always tried, and encouraged family and friends to try, to avoid buying goods or services from countries or businesses that act in a morally dubious or offensive way. I've just added a few more names to the list, including a well known firm of estate agents and a few pubs, hotels and restaurants
I agree and personally would never buy anything from Sheffield Wednesday.
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