Dark Star Scotland in administration

One of Scotland's largest bar, restaurant and hotel businesses, Dark Star Scotland, has been placed in administration.

Administrator Tenon Recovery has promised business as usual - with no immediate plans for redundancies - at the firm, which operates the well-known Budda bars.

Glasgow-based Dark Star Scotland operates 14 leased premises, mostly in western Scotland. The business includes four hotels; two in Aberdeen, one in Ayr and one in Dunfermline.

Joint administrators Kenny Craig and Tom MacLennan of Tenon Recovery plan to continue trading with a view to marketing the business for sale as a going concern. Dark Star Limited employs approximately 280 staff across the business, but there are no immediate plans for redundancies.

The administration follows that of the other companies within the McKever group earlier in the week.

Craig said: "Dark Star has a portfolio of high quality bars, restaurants and hotels in good locations that are well-known in their local communities.

"Whilst not immune from the recent economic downturn, the units were performing relatively well and we are confident that the business will appeal to companies already operating in the licensed trade, or to entrepreneurs keen to enter the sector.

"It is therefore very much business as usual whilst we focus on finding a buyer or buyers as soon as possible."

The business operates the following sites:

- Budda, Cresswell Lane, Glasgow

- Budda, Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow

- Budda, St Vincent Street, Glasgow

- Budda, Clydebank (closed)

- Budda, Oldham (closed)

- Church on the Hill, Glasgow

- Riverbank, Helensburgh

- Riverbank, Kilmarnock

- Soho, Paisley

- The Clipper, Dumbarton

- The Collective, Dunfermline

- Ivy Rooms, Ayr

- White Horse Inn, Aberdeen

- Cove Bay Hotel, Aberdeen