Atik Romford in South Street closes down, Rekom UK says

Atik Romford, which opened in South Street in 2018, shut after parent company Rekom UK said it was unable to reach an agreement with its landlord.

Rekom, the UK's biggest nightclub firm which also owns Przym, had announced plans to draft in administrators due to financial woes on January 15.

Peter Marks, Rekom UK chairman, said: “Following a review of our business, we were unable to reach an agreement with our landlord and have been forced to hand back the lease of Atik Romford.

"Sadly, this means the club has closed and our team has been made redundant," he added.

RELATED NEWS - Atik Romford: 'Business as usual' as Rekom UK plans administration

Peter Marks, chairman of Rekom UK, announced the decision to close Atik Romford yesterday (February 1) (Image: Rekom/ PA)

A Rekom spokesperson had said it was "business as usual" for the venue as soon ago as January 16 when contacted by the Recorder following the administration news.

But Mr Marks yesterday (February 1) confirmed Atik Romford's demise.

He said it had been an "extremely difficult" period for the hospitality sector and attributed the cost-of-living crisis hitting younger people as a factor.

The Rekom UK chairman added that rising costs such as the national minimum wage had particularly affected hospitality, as well as increased business rates.

The firm said on January 15 it had seen surges in costs and would face further pressure from needing “to find an extra £2 million in wages” after the government announced a minimum wage rise in the latest autumn statement.

Mr Marks said this had “led to us having to accept that the group cannot continue in its current structure”.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our guests and teams who have made Atik Romford such an iconic venue for a great night out over the years," he added.

Rekom UK has been running around 35 clubs and 12 late-night bars across the country.

Additional reporting from PA.