Popular Bristol cafe chain Friska has closed the doors of all four sites. The stores in Victoria Street, Queen Square, Harbourside and Bristol and Bath Science Park at Emersons Green shut suddenly yesterday, and three of them are now listed on Google as 'permanently closed'.
Friska has been a popular business since 2009 when it opened its first store in Victoria Street. It was founded by ex-Bath University economics graduates Griff Holland and Ed Brown who came up with their ‘healthy fast food’ concept’ and at one point they had eight stores in Bristol, three cafés in Manchester and a 24/7 operation at Luton Airport.
Friska sites focused on city centre areas with high footfall from office workers but the original owners had to sell the business last summer due to the pressure from the COVID lockdowns and people increasingly working from home. Mr Holland and Mr Brown went on to open Double Puc on the ground floor of The Eye on Glass Wharf, near Temple Meads.
READ MORE: 50th anniversary of Bristol Harbour Festival hailed 'an overwhelming success'
A few Friska sites, including Park Street, were sold but Renroc Retail Ltd took over the stores at Victoria Street, Queen Square, Harbourside and Bristol & Bath Science Park Emersons Green. At the time of writing, all branches except the Victoria Street branch are now listed on Google as 'permanently closed'.
According to Companies House, Renroc Retail Ltd is run from an address in Liverpool. A notice posted on the Companies House website yesterday (July 26) - the day all four stores suddenly closed - states that Renroc Retail Ltd will be ‘struck off the register and dissolved not less than 2 months from the date shown’ unless 'cause is shown to the contrary'.
It goes on to state: “Upon the Company’s dissolution, all property and rights vested in, or held in trust for, the Company are deemed to be bona vacantia, and will belong to the Crown.”
According to the government website, ‘bona vacantia’ is legal speak for vacant goods and is the name given to ownerless property, which by law passes to the Crown. It often refers to the assets of dissolved companies.
Bristol Live has reached out to the company for comment about the closures.
READ MORE:
Stokes Croft restaurant wins praise from Sunday Times critic
Bristol's Chilli Daddy restaurant crowned as best in the South West in Uber Eats award
I tried the veggie breakfast from Crafty Egg's new Fishponds Café and it's the best in Bristol
Meet the mother-and-son team bringing Balkan food to Bristol with five-course supper club
Review: I visited Bristol's oldest bakery with stellar food and shocking prices
