Simmons founder reclaims bar chain in £6m deal
The founder of Simmons has purchased the UK cocktail bar chain after it went into administration due to cash flow issues.
The parent company of Simmons, Nightlight Leisure, appointed London-based financial advisory firm Kroll as its administrator in July.
However, a document on Companies House revealed that Simmons founder Nick Campbell and shareholder Lonsdale Capital Partners have bought the business in a £6.05 million (US$8.1m) pre-packaged sale.
The deal was made through a new London-based incorporated company formed by Campbell and private equity firm Lonsdale.
Nightlight Leisure also operates Widegate Street Bar and Vanilla Bar Group, which have also been purchased as part of the deal.
The pre-packaged sale includes 16 bars, with 12 of these being Simmons sites. The agreement includes Simmons venues in Soho’s Greek Street, Brixton, Battersea, Holborn and the West End.
Streamline the portfolio
Campbell said: “Simmons Bars has completed a strategic restructuring process, supported by Lonsdale Capital Partners, designed to streamline its portfolio, strengthen its financial position, and lay the foundation for continued growth.
“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. Alongside this, we’ve secured additional investment to support future expansion and operational improvements across the estate.
“The business continues to trade as normal, with all of our retained sites operating without interruption. As always, we remain committed to delivering the unique, value-driven, high-energy customer experience we’re known for and look forward to a positive end to 2025.
“We plan to continue exploring opportunities for expansion in the market, including potential sites in key UK cities outside of London.”
According to the bar chain’s website, Simmons operates 15 sites in London and one in Manchester.
The sale has also maintained the employment of 265 workers but 30 were made redundant.
Downturn in trading
The group has experienced a downturn in trading, which it mainly attributed to a combination of macroeconomic factors. This led to the closure of several sites in 2024 and two within the first six months of 2025.
Simmons owed £5.7m (US$7.6m) in outstanding loans to OakNorth, which provided funds to the group in 2020 after the business struggled during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The company also owed £900,000 (US$1.2m) to tax authority HMRC and £850,000 (US$1.1m) to local councils Camden, Westminster, Hackney and the City of London.
Nightlight Leisure has been significantly impacted by a ‘continued challenging consumer environment’ after Covid-19, with consumers shifting away from drinking culture to more health-conscious lifestyles, and an increase in inflationary pressures and overhead costs.
Lonsdale took a majority stake in the business in 2018 to support the opening of new sites. The company opened the 400-capacity Manchester venue in October last year.
Despite positive earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of £2.4m (US$3.2m) from full-year revenue of £24.9m (US$33.4m) in 2024/25, the business faced cash flow issues from the beginning of 2025.
As a result of these challenges, the company requested a Time to Pay (TTP) agreement in early 2025 to allow VAT liabilities of approximately £540,000 (US$725,800) to be paid over five monthly instalments to HMRC.
Simmons was founded by Campbell in 2012, beginning with a site in King’s Cross. The chain is known for its happy hour offers and late-night party atmosphere.
The UK hospitality sector faced increased costs in April 2025 when National Insurance contributions from employers increased to 15% following the autumn budget announcement.
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