Staff lose jobs as Lavazza, Burger King and Cafe Select close at Wakefield’s Ridings Shopping Centre

Food and drink retailers in the Ridings Shopping Centre have closed after the company which ran them went into administration.

The Lavazza coffee shop, Cafe Select and Burger King have shut down after Food and Beverage Group (FABG) ran into cashflow problems and called in the administrators.

Staff have been made redundant after the demise of FABG, which was the franchise holder for the three retailers in the Ridings.

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Ridings Centre manager Eileen Holroyd said: “Regrettably we can confirm that Lavazza, Cafe Select and Burger King have closed within the Ridings Shopping Centre.

“This is as a result of the franchisee, the Food and Beverage Group (FABG), entering administration earlier in the year.

“We continue to be in discussions with new retailers who are interested in taking space at the centre and would like to remind shoppers that there is still a strong selection or cafe’s and eateries within the Ridings.”

The bottom floor of the Ridings was partly sealed off today, with only sweet shop Feather’s Confectionery trading in that part of the centre.

Chairs were stacked up in the vacant Lavazza unit above.

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Accounts show that in May accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young was appointed as the administrator of FABG Ltd, a company based in Cambridgeshire and also traded from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Lincoln.

An administrators’ report said the company had been profitable for a number of years but ran into cash problems in 2014.

An increase in online shopping led to reduced footfall of between ten and 20 per cent in the shopping centres where FABG operated.

Overall turnover fell by around 17 per cent and the company ran up arrears on its rent, VAT and staff costs.

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