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PRIVACY
Retail & Consumer

Company behind Newcastle bar Okana collapsed owing £1.4m

Cyclone (Newcastle) Limited ran the Westgate Road bar, in the former Union Club building, and collapsed owing more than £24,000 to staff

Okana bar on Westgate Road(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)

The company behind Newcastle cocktail bar and kitchen Okana went into liquidation owing more than £1.4m to creditors - including its former staff.

Cyclone (Newcastle) Limited ran the city centre venue - which had employed 33 people - which is reported to have been loss-making before it closed owing to difficulties during the pandemic.

Liquidators from North East insolvency specialists FRP were appointed to the business following its closure and now a report shows the business had assets of just £8,920 but owed hundreds of thousands to lenders, Newcastle City Council and HMRC, among other creditors.

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Cyclone also owed £24,534 to staff in pay and pension contributions, though part of that sum could be covered by the firm's assets, leaving £15,614 still owed.

A statement of affairs reveals the business owed significant sums to major creditors including £117,595 to asset finance business Asset Advantage, as well as £225,572 to HMRC and £115,688 to Newcastle City Council.

Other smaller amounts of £23,529 were owed to major drinks supplier Molson Coors, and £32,575 to brewers Marstons. Durham-based real estate firm URN Management Limited was left without £212,644.

Elsewhere, North Shields' firm PWS Building and Joinery Ltd was left £12,000 out of pocket, while restaurant bookings platform Quandoo was owed £11,575.