Salt Yard Group sells Opera Tavern to Urban Pubs and Bars
Salt Yard Group has sold the lease of its Covent Garden tapas bar Opera Tavern to Urban Pubs and Bars.
The sale of the 40-cover site, which was the group's third London restaurant when it opened in 2011, will leave Salt Yard with three sites: Salt Yard in Fitzrovia, and Ember Yard and Dehesa in Soho.
The group closed its fifth restaurant Veneta at St James's Market in December 2017 after only a year, as the location was "not quite right", one month after Simon Mullins' departure from the group he co-founded 13 years ago. He has been replaced by the group's former HR director Georgina Laing.
The two-storey, 2,028 sq ft venue will be Urban Pubs and Bars' 14th site and is part of the group's expansion plans following the sale of its previous business Realpubs to Greene King.
In a statement Salt Yard Group said: "Directors Georgina Laing and Sanja Moll say it's been a fabulous seven years in Covent Garden, and they are excited to now be focusing fully on their Soho and Fitzrovia restaurants; Dehesa, Ember Yard and Salt Yard."
Urban Pubs and Bars plans to retain as much of the restaurant's current look as possible, as well as its emphasis on food.
Restaurant Property was instructed to sell Opera Tavern on behalf of Salt Yard.
Danielle Agami and Tom Richards, who brokered the deal from Restaurant Property, said: "This is a fantastic move for Urban Pubs and Bars as they will be bringing a wealth of expertise to the bustling and iconic Theatreland. We look forward to witnessing their continued success in such a prominent and unique site."
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