Sky Lounge closing

Probably missed the thread but seems a shame to me.

 

Not enough custom from Rishi.

 

I thought I read somewhere that it’s been taken over.

 

In Market Kitchen ? If so very surprised it seems busy more than it’s not

 

I'm not on Facebook so unable to link their post about it, he has history with the council.

 

I’ve just read their post on Facebook, they’re saying that BMBC have received a better offer rent wise from a Sheffield based company,

 

Yep isn’t he the same guy who had the salt house and a place in penistone that ended up closing?

 

Black and White as well, let's see what BMBC say, he was saying the same with Salt House.

 

They can't just kick them out for a better paying tenant unless they contracted out of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, which is generally a spectacularly daft thing to do as a tenant, particularly if you're investing in a fit out etc.

 

Who paid for the fit out though?

 

This to their statement,
2 sides to every story like


It’s a “GOOD BYE” from us.

Today is our last day serving our faithful customers.

Cucina Sky lounge, against our will, is going to be closing for good.

We would love to welcome everybody to join us tonight at 9pm to raise one last glass with us…on the house

We would like to thank our loyal customers and our fellow market traders for an amazing 4 and a half years of true support. We will miss you all dearly! We were challenged with delivering a bar above a market and boy did we deliver!

We were integral in the concept and development of Market Kitchen and feel sad for our tenure to end in the manner in which it has.

We feel it necessary to give our loyal customers an honest explanation as to why the iconic RED CUCINA sign will be turned off for good in Market Kitchen.

We served our first customer in October 2019 and shortly after in 2020, we, alongside our local and national community faced the immense challenge which was the Covid pandemic and trading through near impossible restrictions and 3 stop and start lockdowns.

We navigated those awful times, saved all our staff jobs and came out the other end in 2021 still fighting to help keep the councils Market Kitchen vibrant and relevant and we have succeeded to do so throughout 2022 and 2023

After 4 and a half years of successful trading, building the Cucina brand, being a major footfall driver and cornerstone tenant in Market Kitchen, and what we thought to be a strong and positive relationship with our landlord, Barnsley Council!

We were given an abrupt 30 days to vacate so that our family run independent business could be handed over to a new tenant, a Sheffield pub chain with 10 sites.

When we asked why we were being kicked out for no fault of our own, BMBC simply told us, “the new tenant has offered us more rent”.

To facilitate the need to maximise rents, the council used an unpopular leasing loophole that strips away a tenants rights to security. We had to contract out of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 which was founded to provide tenants with security of tenure.

BMBC had offered our business out to any interested parties and eventually gave it to the highest bidder with no regard to a local independent family who built the site up from scratch and managed to operate it and survive the hardest times in hospitality through Covid and cost of living crises’.

We exhausted every amicable avenue we could to try and keep our business and BMBC even refused to enter into negotiations with us to reach an increased rental agreement that would satisfy them and avoid this drastic situation.

Regardless of the disappointment and frustration with the council departments involved, it’s fair to say that we have enjoyed working alongside some of the glassworks management team, namely the glassworks centre manager.

Despite this awful news, we are still in high spirits and we are proud of what Cucina and the amazing team we have, has accomplished over the years. We are grateful to our amazing team who have become a family.

Never the less, but always the more,
When a door closes, a window opens.

We look forward to seeing you tonight ❤️

 

Then no offence to them but this shouldn't have been a massive surprise.

 

Obviously I don’t know the details so not judging anyone but as a general comment it’s a shame to squeeze out independents to facilitate chains.

 

It could be a load of rubbish but I got told it’s the same folk that own The Crown and Anchor at Barugh Green.

 

That'll be true north. Own several pubs in Sheffield.

 

Yeah, it’ll be True North. Which, tbf, will ensure it’s still a good bar going forward (although they had financial issues themselves a while ago).

I suspect TN have offered more money and also a more varied offering. The council need to
Maximise income so have swapped the tenant, and were within their right.

It is a shame, but that’s business. It’s a prominent bar in a busy location, so it’ll command decent rent.

As a taxpayer, it’s all about value for money - so if they were paying below market value, then you’d expect BMBC to act accordingly.

 

Hope all the staff are able to find work quickly. Horrible to lose a job with little notice.

 

Can’t see why most won’t just be kept on.

Management might not be, but bar staff would make sense.