Paris’ Cambridge owners buy Little Red Door

Hugo Gallou and Hyacinthe Lescoët, co-founders of The Cambridge Public House in Paris, have acquired the city’s Little Red Door bar following a period of administration.

Little Red Door bar director Alex Francis and former head bartender Barney O’Kane left the bar in January. Their departures followed strike action by other staff members due to a dispute between Timothée Prangé, the bar’s co-owner, and its majority shareholders.

Gallou and Lescoët bid for the bar when administrators put it up for sale earlier this year, citing a ‘mission to continue the legacy of the bar and protect its independent status – respecting the years of hard work and dedication that Tim and the team put into Little Red Door to get it to the award-winning bar it is today’.

The pair said: “Little Red Door has been an integral part of the Parisian cocktail scene over the past 10 years, loved by bartenders, locals and international visitors.

“Following the sale, we wanted to protect the bar’s independent status and continue its legacy as we guide it into a new era. We have known Tim, Alex and Barney for a number of years and we are so pleased to have their support on this journey.”

Prangé is no longer involved in the bar and has moved on to new ventures.

He added: “Little Red Door, its team and the community around it have been my joy and passion [for] over 12 years, so I am glad that it is our neighbours and fellow independent bar owners Hugo and Hyacinthe who are taking over ownership of the bar.

“They have my gratitude and I am sure they will know how to look after Little Red Door in its next chapter.”

The bar closed for two weeks for maintenance and reopened under its new owners this week (1 July).

The Cambridge and Little Red Door will operate separately.

The former describes itself as a British pub meets cocktail bar.