The last remaining Revolution bar in Reading town centre is at risk as its operating company is set to go into administration.
The last remaining Revolution bar in Reading town centre is at risk after its operating company, The Revel Collective (previously known as the Revolution Bars Group), said it is due to go into administration in the coming days — putting 2,200 jobs at risk.
The news, published yesterday (Monday, January 26), follows the company being put up for sale last October. National reporting indicates the business was unsuccessful in attracting buyers.
The company stated: "Since the transactions being contemplated are not expected to deliver any return to shareholders, the board has resolved to take action to protect creditors.
"Unless circumstances change, and in accordance with statutory requirements, the board intends to appoint administrators within 10 business days.
"The business will continue to trade and the company will continue to work alongside advisers in order to preserve as much value as possible for all stakeholders as it advances a potential sale of all or parts of the business."
Locally, the company had two sites in Reading. The Revolution bar in Station Road closed with seven other sites in January 2024, despite receiving a £ 250,000-plus upgrade in November 2022. That venue was replaced by Boom Battle Bar, which opened in June last year and offers food, drinks and activities such as interactive darts, shuffleboard and beer pong.
The closure left Revolución de Cuba on Friar Street as Revolution's sole site in Reading. Revolución de Cuba is a Latin American-themed cocktail bar run by the same company and is known for hosting salsa classes on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays — which could end if administrators choose to close the bar.
Revolución de Cuba's days have been numbered anyway: the building it occupies is set to be demolished and replaced with a 163-bed Leonardo Hotel under a scheme by Thackeray Estates. That project would also involve demolition of an Asian food store and would incorporate The Bugle pub, which was added to the local list of heritage assets in July 2022.
The Thackeray Estates QVS1 +2 project was approved by Reading Borough Council's planning applications committee in December 2022. You can view the approved application for the building Revolución de Cuba is based in by typing reference PL/22/1235 into the council's planning portal.
The management company of Revolución de Cuba won permission from the council's licensing department in January 2024 to stay open until 2am from Thursday to Saturday.
Revolution has been contacted for a comment.
James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter
