The owner of Shoeless Joe’s, the sports bar chain fronted by former England rugby prop Victor Ubogu, is planning to sell it.
Ballymore Leisure is looking to dispose of its six remaining sites across the country and is also in talks with a rival bar operator to sell the chain as a going concern.
The company is understood to have received an approach to sell the Shoeless Joe’s business, which includes bars in London’s Mayfair, St Paul’s, Victoria and Camden, and two sites in Manchester and Brighton.
The negotiations follow Ballymore’s sale of its bar at Temple, WC2, to Regent Inns for £3.6m. Regent Inns will convert the site to its Walkabout brand.
Ballymore Leisure managing director Adam Duthie said: “We are in confidential discussions with a third party.”
The Shoeless Joes bar on Dover Street, W1, is understood to be under offer to Wagamama, with Ballymore demanding a £500,000 premium for the site.
Nick Marks of Marks & Co, which is acting on the disposals, said: “The plan is to sell off the smaller units.”
Davis Coffer Lyons acted for Regent Inns on the acquisition of the Temple site.
EGi News 02/09/02
