The owner of Revolution Bars is preparing to take office, putting up to 2,200 jobs at risk across his UK estate.
Revel Collective, which operates 62 pubs and bars under brands including Revolution Bars, Revolucion de Cuba and Peach Pubs, confirmed on Monday that it has applied for the appointment of administrators. A formal appointment is expected within the next 10 days.
The company said discussions with a buyer were “well advanced” but warned a sale would wipe out existing shareholders. Trading of Revel Collective shares on the London Junior AIM market has been suspended.
Despite the move, the group said all venues will continue trading while the administration process is ongoing.
Revel Collective, chaired by former Pizza Express boss Luke Johnson, put itself up for sale in October after what it described as a lengthy period of “external challenges”. In December it said the company had attracted a “significant number” of potential buyers and had since been linked to hotel groups such as Neos Hospitality. An announcement of a sale is expected in the coming days.
The company said it decided to file for bankruptcy to “protect creditors,” including its banks, during the completion of a transaction.
When Revel Collective launched the sale process last autumn, it blamed tough trading conditions and policy decisions announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in Labour’s first budget after taking office in 2024. The measures included higher employers’ social security contributions and an increase in the national minimum wage.
The group also criticized the government’s decision to increase tariffs on spirits, which it said would increase its cost base by more than £4 million a year. A turnaround plan that called for the closure of 15 loss-making locations proved insufficient to stabilize the business.
The move makes Revel Collective the latest hotel operator to give in to increasing pressure on the high street. Data released on Monday by NIQ showed that 382 hospitality businesses closed in the last three months of 2025, more than four a day, leaving the UK with 98,914 hospitality sites by the end of the year.
Karl Chessell, director of hospitality and food at NIQ, said “relentless increases in operating costs” were taking a heavy toll on the industry.
Industry leaders have warned that conditions could worsen when changes to business rates come into effect in April. The Chancellor is expected to ease the impact of pub reforms after warnings of mass closures. But she is under pressure to ensure support extends beyond pubs to the wider hospitality sector.
The Ministry of Finance has been contacted for comment.
