Revolution Bars are set to go into administration putting 2,200 jobs at risk after the owners criticised Labour’s ‘regressive’ budget.
Parent company Revel Collective which owns the 62 bars across the UK put itself up for sale last October after facing what it called ‘a continued period of external challenges’.
Pubs are facing massive increases in business rates this April as pandemic relief measures have been ended, a new revaluation of properties is projected to put up rateable values as well as changes to how business rates are calculated.
Discussions with a buyer are ‘well advanced’, the company told the BBC, but the company had to file into administration meaning the shareholders in the company will be left with nothing after the sale.
The pubs and bars, which include the Revolution bar chain – known affectionately as ‘Revs’ – as well as Revolucion de Cuba and Peach, will remain open while the company goes into administration but it has been suspended from trading on London‘s junior AIM stock exchange.
The company blamed ‘challenging economic conditions’ and criticised Rachel Reeves‘ first Labour budget in 2024 when it was put up for sale last autumn.
This had increased National Insurance contributions from employers and raised the minimum wage.
They also criticised a hike in duties on spirits which it said will cost the company an extra £4million a year.
Revolution bars, affectionately known as ‘Revs’ will remain open during the process but the parent companies 62 bars will go into administration, putting 2,200 jobs at risk
Shareholders with parent company Revel Collective will be cleared out and left with nothing after the sale
The company had previously tried to turn itself around by shutting 15 loss making bars but this was not enough to revive itself.
Administrators will be appointed in 10 days, former Pizza Express boss Luke Johnson said.
A statement from the company confirmed stake holders would be wiped out on their investments and that it was entering administration to ‘protect creditors’ like banks.
Despite this, the company said it had found ‘a significant number’ of buyers in December, including bar and club owner Neos Hospitality. An announcement on the sale is expected in the next few days.
Hospitality firm closures soared at the end of 2025, with 382 companies closing down in the last three months of the year – more than four each day according to consumer research firm NIQ.
There were 98,914 hospitality sites left in the UK as the year ended.
Karl Chessell, director of hospitality operators and food at NIQ said ‘relentless increases in operating costs’ are punishing the industry.
The government is now expected to water down the planned changes for business rates on pubs which otherwise could have seen mass closures, industry groups warned.