The owner of a Westhill bar and bistro has promised to carry on despite the business entering into liquidation.
Duncano’s, which is located within the Westhill Shopping Centre in the Aberdeenshire town, put in a petition to Aberdeen Sheriff Court on May 2 to be wound up.
However, owner Lynne Duncan – whose background is in marketing and recruitment – has said that despite this, the restaurant is “still trading”.
She added: “We’ve made some changes and restructured to protect the business, so we are very much still business as usual.”
The businesswoman confirmed they will have a “renewed focus on financial accountability and long-term planning”.
“The past few years have been hard”
Ms Duncan told The Press and Journal the past few years have been “some of the best of my life, but also the hardest”.
The entrepreneur added: “It’s been an incredibly challenging time to launch and run a business, especially in hospitality.
“I’m eternally grateful to my loyal customers, staff, suppliers and supporters who have all helped me during this period.”
To ensure the business – which missed its December deadline to submit accounts to Companies House – is “future-proofed”, the Duncano’s boss has decided to make “some changes” to the way it is run.
“These changes will also allow us to embrace the many new opportunities we have, including the new private catering and events side of the business,” Ms Duncan said.
What is liquidation?
In simple terms, liquidation is the process of bringing a business to an end and distributing its assets to claimants.
It is an event that usually occurs when a company is insolvent, meaning it cannot pay its obligations when they are due.
As company operations end, the remaining assets are used to pay creditors and shareholders, based on the priority of their claims.
In the case of Duncano’s, Kenneth Craig from Begbies Traynor has been appointed to oversee the liquidation process.
This will involve any assets from Duncano’s Ltd being sold to give a distribution to any people and businesses owed money before the business is removed from the Companies House register.
It is not uncommon for a company’s assets to then be acquired by a former director under a new business name – as appears to be the case here.
Begbies Traynor has been asked to comment.
What now for Duncano’s?
A favourite with locals and visitors alike, Duncano’s opened in 2021.
Open five days a week – excluding Monday and Tuesday – the venue on Old Skene Road has a capacity for 54 people, however, this can be increased for private functions and celebrations.
Along with a bar and bistro, Duncano’s also runs an events and catering business, which catered for Aberdeen FC’s new “North Sea” away kit launch at the Portland Sentinel at Aberdeen Harbour on Wednesday.
Ms Duncan said: “As always, I will be giving my best efforts to ensure that customers have the best experiences at my restaurant or on location.
“I want to personally reassure everyone that it’s very much business as usual for me and my team.”
The business has faced challenges in recent times – among them antisocial behaviour in Westhill.
In March last year, The P&J revealed that staff at the venue were left feeling “intimidated” after being targeted by a group of around 30 masked youths.
Staff were forced to lock themselves and paying customers inside the bistro.
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