The Revel Collective: bars at risk of closing as Revolution bars group nears administration - locations list
The future of Yorkshire’s favourite bars is uncertain as the owner moves towards administration 🍹
- Popular Revolution and Revolución de Cuba bars in Yorkshire face an uncertain future
- Owner The Revel Collective plans to appoint administrators while seeking a buyer
- Five Yorkshire venues, including Leeds, York, Sheffield and Huddersfield, are at risk
- Bars will continue trading for now, with drinks and events going ahead as normal
- Falling sales, rising debts and changing spending habits have pushed the group into crisis
A well-known bar chain with several popular Yorkshire venues could soon enter administration, putting nights out, bookings and jobs at risk across the region.
The Revel Collective, which operates bars under the Revolution and Revolución de Cuba brands, has confirmed it plans to appoint administrators, while stressing that it is still in talks over a potential sale of the business.
For customers, that means venues remain open for now, but uncertainty is growing about what happens next.
The group said it had filed a formal notice of intent to appoint administrators in order to “protect creditors”.
While discussions with potential buyers are described as “well advanced”, the company warned that, unless circumstances change, administrators are expected to be appointed within the next 10 business days.
The company has said its bars will continue trading during this period, with drinks served and events going ahead as normal while negotiations continue behind the scenes.
Yorkshire bars at risk
The Revel Collective currently operates five sites across Yorkshire, all of which could be affected depending on the outcome of the sale process:
- Revolución de Cuba Leeds – Call Lane
- Revolution Leeds – Electric Press
- Revolution York
- Revolution Sheffield
- Revolution Huddersfield
These venues are popular choices for cocktail nights, group bookings and celebrations, particularly in city-centre locations.
What’s gone wrong?
The hospitality group, chaired by former Pizza Express boss Luke Johnson, put itself up for sale last October as financial pressures mounted. At the time, it warned that shareholders were unlikely to receive anything from any eventual deal.
Despite a major restructuring in 2024 which saw 15 underperforming bars close, the turnaround failed to gain traction. A strategic review into funding and a potential sale followed later in the year.
Bosses have blamed weaker-than-expected revenues on changing consumer habits, particularly younger customers cutting back on discretionary spending, as well as unusually warm summer weather hitting footfall.
Revenues fell 7.4% to £26.3 million in the three months to September, while like-for-like sales in bars dropped by more than 10%.
At the same time, debts continued to rise, increasing to £25.3 million, up from £22.1 million just months earlier.
What happens next?
The Revel Collective operates around 62 sites nationwide and employs more than 3,000 people. A sale could see bars continue under new ownership, potentially with little visible change for customers. But if talks collapse, further closures could follow.
For now, Yorkshire revellers can still order cocktails as usual, but the future of these familiar bars is hanging in the balance.