NOT
FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART,
DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO
DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR
REGULATIONS OF THAT JURISDICTION
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES
OF THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU) NO 596/2014, AS AMENDED. UPON
PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, THIS INSIDE INFORMATION IS NOW
CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN
For
immediate release.
31 May 2024
Revolution Bars Group
plc
(the
"Company" or the
"Group")
Conclusion of Formal Sale
Process, Publication of Practice Statement Letter and Update re
General Meeting
Conclusion of Formal Sale
Process
Revolution Bars Group plc (AIM:
RBG), a leading operator of premium bars and gastro pubs, trading
mainly under the Revolution, Revolucion de Cuba and Peach Pubs
brands, announces that it has concluded the
Formal Sale Process ("FSP") announced on 10 April 2024. The
FSP did not result in any proposals being made relating
to the acquisition of the entire issued and to be
issued share capital of the Company. The
Board confirms that it is not in receipt of any approaches for the
Company at the date of this announcement.
With the conclusion of the FSP, the
Company is no longer in an "offer period" as defined by the City
Code on Takeovers and Mergers (the "Takeover Code") and the
disclosure requirements pursuant to Rule 8 of the Takeover Code are
no longer applicable.
However, for the avoidance of doubt,
the M&A Process, which as previously disclosed resulted in
several proposals being received for the acquisition of certain of
its subsidiaries and/or business and assets owned or operated by
certain of the Company's subsidiaries, will progress if the
Fundraising is unsuccessful and the Restructuring Plan is no longer
capable of being progressed. As previously disclosed, none of the
proposals presented (or any combination thereof) would result in a
financial return to Shareholders.
Launch of the Restructuring
Plan
Today, the Group announces the
launch of the Restructuring Plan in respect of the Plan Company. As
previously stated, the Restructuring Plan would enable the Plan
Company to restructure certain of its liabilities, this includes
amending and extending the Group's secured lending facilities,
exiting the leases of certain loss-making sites, and proposing a
rent reduction on certain other sites to enable them to return to
profitability at a sustainable level.
The Board expects the Restructuring
Plan to return the Plan Company to profitability (leading to a £3.8
million improvement in Group Adjusted EBITDA in FY25) and therefore
unanimously believes the Restructuring Plan for the Plan Company is
in the best interests of all stakeholders.
The Practice Statement Letter
("PSL") will today be sent to all creditors affected by the
Restructuring Plan.
The PSL provides detailed commentary
on what would likely happen if the Restructuring Plan were not
sanctioned by the Court by the 15 August 2024. In those
circumstances, the Fundraising, which is conditional upon the
successful implementation of the Restructuring Plan, would not
conclude. Creditor support, which is dependent on the Restructuring
Plan being successfully sanctioned, would cease and in those
circumstances, per management's short-term liquidity forecast to
the end of September 2024, the Group is forecasting an immediate
£0.7 million funding requirement in the week ending 24 August 2024
with an estimated peak funding requirement of £8.1 million in the
week ending 7 September 2024.
In those circumstances, it is
expected the directors of the Plan Company and certain other Group
entities would file for administration to comply with their
directors' duties obligations and to protect the interests of
creditors.
The PSL also provides information in
respect of the Group's expected financial
performance, in particular, the Group is
forecasting a statutory loss before tax of approximately £15.0
million in the year to 29 June 2024 under IFRS 16 after all
exceptional items and impairments associated with the Restructuring
Plan. This is consistent with the guidance provided in the
Company's trading statement on 24 January 2024 of IAS 17 EBITDA of
c.£3.0 - 3.5 million for the same period.
Update re General
Meeting
The Company notes the announcement
made by Nightcap on 30 May 2024 in which it confirmed that it does
not intend to make an offer for the entire issued and to be issued
share capital of the Company.
In the absence of any option which
would provide a better outcome for stakeholders, Shareholders are
strongly advised to vote in favour of the Fundraising Resolutions
at the General Meeting in order for the Fundraising to proceed and
to enable the Restructuring Plan to be sanctioned by the
Court.
Terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings
given to them in the Company's circular to shareholders dated 15
April 2024, which remains available at the Company's website
at
https://www.revolutionbarsgroup.com/media/1464/revolution-bars-group-circular.pdf.
For
further information, please contact:
Revolution Bars Group plc
Rob Pitcher, CEO
Danielle Davies, CFO
|
Tel: 0161 330 3876
|
Cavendish Capital Markets Limited (Financial and Rule 3
Adviser, Nominated Adviser, Broker and
Bookrunner)
Matt Goode / Simon Hicks / Teddy
Whiley / Hamish Waller (Corporate Finance)
Tim Redfern (ECM)
www.Cavendish.com
|
+44 (0) 20 7220
0500
|
FTI
Consulting (Financial Adviser)
Ben Hughes
Callum Greig
|
Tel: 020 3077 0426
ben.hughes@fticonsulting.com
callum.greig@fticonsulting.com
|
Instinctif (Financial
PR)
Matthew Smallwood / Justine
Warren
020 7457 2010
|
Tel: 020 7457 2005
|
The person responsible for making
this announcement on behalf of the Company is Rob Pitcher,
CEO.
Notice related to financial
adviser
Cavendish Capital Markets Limited
("Cavendish"), which is authorised and
regulated by the FCA in the United Kingdom, is acting exclusively
for the Company and for no one else in connection with the subject
matter of this Announcement and will not be responsible to anyone
other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to
its clients or for providing advice in relation to the subject
matter of this announcement. Neither Cavendish nor any of its
subsidiaries, affiliates or branches owes or accepts any duty,
liability, or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct, indirect,
consequential, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or
otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Cavendish in
connection with this announcement, any statement or other matter or
arrangement referred to herein or otherwise.
Rule 26.1 disclosure
In accordance with Rule 26.1 of the
Code, a copy of this announcement will be available (subject to
certain restrictions relating to persons resident in restricted
jurisdictions) at https://www.revolutionbarsgroup.om/investors/ by
no later than 12 noon (London time) on the business day following
the date of this announcement. The content of the website referred
to in this announcement is not incorporated into and does not form
part of this announcement.
Additional Information
This announcement is not intended
to, and does not, constitute or form part of any offer, invitation,
or the solicitation of an offer to purchase, otherwise acquire,
subscribe for, sell, or otherwise dispose of, any securities, or
the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction,
pursuant to this announcement or otherwise. Any offer, if made,
will be made solely by certain offer documentation which will
contain the full terms and conditions of any offer, including
details of how it may be accepted. The distribution of this
announcement in jurisdictions other than the United Kingdom and the
availability of any offer to shareholders of the Company who are
not resident in the United Kingdom may be affected by the laws of
relevant jurisdictions. Therefore any persons who are subject to
the laws of any jurisdiction other than the United Kingdom or
shareholders of the Company who are not resident in the United
Kingdom will need to inform themselves about, and observe any
applicable requirements.
Forward Looking Statements
This announcement contains
statements about the Company that are or may be deemed to be
forward-looking statements. Without limitation, any statements
preceded or followed by or that include the words "targets",
"plans", "believes", "expects", "aims", "intends", "will", "may",
"anticipates", "estimates", "projects" or words or terms of similar
substance or the negative thereof, may be forward-looking
statements.
These forward-looking statements are
not guarantees of future performance. Such forward-looking
statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that
could significantly affect expected results and are based on
certain key assumptions. Many factors could cause actual results to
differ materially from those projected or implied in any
forward-looking statements, which speak only as at the date of this
announcement. The Company disclaims any obligation or
responsibility to update publicly or to review any forward-looking
or other statement contained in this announcement, except as
required by applicable law.