The Veeno wine bar chain has entered administration for the second time in seven years.
A notice posted to the London Gazette detailed that Veeno’s operating company, Vintage Corporation brought in David Kemp and Richard Hunt of Exigen Group on 8 April to manage the administration.
Veeno currently operates five sites at Bristol, Durham, Edinburgh, Leeds and Leicester, but closed its Chester location earlier this year.
The group was founded in Manchester in 2013 by Nino Caruso and Andrea Zecchino.
Caruso told The Sun: “Like many businesses in the UK casual dining sector, we have faced a combination of well-documented market pressures in recent years, including rising operating costs and challenges within the property landscape.
“This process allows us to address those factors, realign the business and ensure a more sustainable foundation for the future.”
At its peak, Veeno was operating 15 wine bars, and in 2018 announced plans to open 12 new branches, appointing Cedar Dean Commercial, part of property firm Cedar Dean Gilmarc, to oversee its expansion strategy.
However, Zecchino stepped down that year and closures of premises in Harrogate and a Norwich franchise soon followed.
Veeno first fell into administration in 2019, before nine sites were bought out in a pre-pack deal by former Walt Disney executive Rodrigue Trouillet, who had originally joined the company the year before as commercial director, then subsequently became co-owner as part of rescue package.
Its original Manchester location was shuttered in 2022.
The chain serves wines produced in Caruso’s family vineyard, Caruso & Minini, in Marsala, Sicily alongside pizza, pasta and platters of spuntini (platters of Italian meats and cheeses).
