A retro-style cocktail bar chain has fallen into administration amid a slew of other pub closures in the UK – with four sites closing their doors for good.
Simmons Bars, which is based in London but has a location in Manchester as well, offered brunch, cocktails in teapots and karaoke.
But the company has now appointed advisory firm Kroll to oversee its administration process after its most recent accounts reported a nearly £750,000 loss for the year to March 2024.
That’s a major turnaround from the year before, when Simmons made a profit of just under £2million.
It comes only a week after the business announced it was closing four of its 20 branches.
So far, branches in Putney, London Bridge, Bond Street, and Temple have permanently closed their doors.
The future of its other 16 bars is so far unknown, but the Simmons website still has a booking form available for people to book birthday parties, stag and hen dos, and private function rooms.
Last week, founder Nick Campbell said Simmons is hoping to ‘streamline’ its portfolio and restructure its finances in the process, but more locations of the bars will open in the future.
‘As part of the process, we’ve taken the tough decision to exit four leases, allowing management to focus resources on our strongest performing venues,’ he told CityAM.
‘Alongside this, we’ve secured additional investment to support future expansion and operational improvements across the estate.’
It’s also not yet clear how many staff have been affected by the closures.
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Full list of all Simmons bars, locations, and their status
London branches – current status unknown
- Angel, 43 Essex Road
- Bank, 33 Cornhill
- Clapham, 165 Clapham High Street
- Greek Street, 7 Greek Street
- Holborn, 109 Kingsway
- Kings Cross, 32 Caledonian Road
- Leicester Square, 28a Leicester Square
- Liverpool Street, 21 Widegate Street
- Monument, 35 Eastcheap
- Old Street, 233a Old Street
- Oxford Street, 203 Wardour Street
- Piccadilly, 4 Golden Square
- Shoreditch, 104-108 Curtain Road
- Soho, 2 Bateman Street
- Tottenham Court Road, 17 Manette Street
Manchester branch – current status unknown
- 78 Deansgate, Manchester
Simmons Bars confirmed to have closed
Putney, 32 Putney High Street
London Bridge, 31 University Street
Bond Street, 11 Woodstock Street
Temple, 1 Milford Lane
The state of the UK hospitality industry in 2025
Pubs across England, Scotland and Wales are already shutting their doors at alarming rates.
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has estimated that 378 pubs will close this year, putting 5,600 jobs in danger.
BBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin urged the government earlier this month to change business rates in the sector to help more pubs keep their doors open.
Reducing the cumulative tax and regulatory burden would lead to more investment and jobs while also protecting spaces that, for many communities, are the only places left to gather, they say.
Pub closures also have a further impact on those who are part of the supply chain, including farmers, brewers and other industries.
The announcement of Simmons’ closures comes as another popular pub chain announced that ten of its locations would shut soon as well.
Brewdog said they were unable to ‘find a formula’ to make the bars viable due to multiple ‘limiting factors’.
From Brighton to Dundee, the locations will see more than 100 staff members laid off in the process, with as little as three days’ notice.
It’s the latest blow to the so-called ‘punk’ brewer after years of allegations of horrible working environments and other closures.
Another hotel and pub chain fell into administration after a fall in customer numbers and rising costs forced the business to close six pubs and sell 14 others.
Oakman Inns is based in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire and operates several pubs across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Midlands.
Metro has contacted Simmons Bar for further details
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