Alma De Cuba sold to bar and leisure group for £2.5m
A Liverpool bar and leisure group has acquired a venue formerly run by Signature Living for £2.5m.
Alma De Cuba, which is set in a Grade II-listed, 18th century building on Seel Street, has been snapped up by JSM Group.
The sale was overseen by Kroll Advisory and CBRE’s Manchester operational real estate team after the venue entered administration in May 2022.
The venue first opened in the former St Peters Church in 2005 and became a celebrity favourite, with Liverpool FC holding their players’ party at the venue following the team’s 2006 FA Cup win.
It was acquired by Signature Living for £3.1m in 2017 to become one of its 60 entities that trade as hospitality, hotel and residential property operators and developers.
The 11,820 sq ft venue can accommodate up to 670 people, and includes a multi-level restaurant, nightclub, and events and wedding venue.
Alma De Cuba (Image:Liverpool ECHO)
BusinessLive reported in July that Alma De Cuba owed more than £9m as it entered administration.
Nick Huddleston of CBRE said: “We are delighted to have sold this prominent hospitality venue which provides such an atmospheric setting.
“The building sits perfectly alongside JSM Group’s other venues which include the Brooklyn Mixer, The Peacock and Dirty O’Sheas. We very much look forward to seeing this iconic venue continuing to evolve under new ownership.”
Michael Lennon, joint administrator at Kroll, added: “We are pleased to confirm the sale of the business and assets of Alma De Cuba Hotel Limited, this has secured the future of a popular Liverpool venue.
“More importantly, it has also preserved the employment of 28 staff who will all transfer over to JSM Group as part of the sale.”
Matt Crebbin of JSM Group said: “We are really excited to have acquired this landmark building and hospitality business in the heart of the Ropewalks. We continue to grow our hospitality and leisure portfolio in Liverpool and we’ve had our eye on the Alma De Cuba for a while.
“We continue to focus on investment and asset management opportunities across a range of sectors within Liverpool and the North West. We’re always on the lookout for further opportunities and are very much open for business.”