The details: Administrators sold the majority of the business but 14 Revolution bars, six Revolucion de Cuba sites and one Peach pub were not included in the sale and closed immediately, impacting 591 employees.
The Revel Collective sale secured the continuation of 20 bars and 21 pubs, protecting 1,582 jobs. Ten Revolution bars remain open, while 13 others closed alongside Ipswich.
What they're saying: Revolution acknowledged the closures in a statement on Tuesday evening, saying: "Today we say goodbye to a number of our bars, and that's not easy. We're incredibly proud of the teams, memories and moments created in those spaces."
Rob Pitcher, chief executive at Revel Collective, said in October 2025: "The newly elected Labour Government's recent Budget announcements, especially the reduction in the National Insurance thresholds for employers, will have a very damaging impact on the group. These measures are regressive and offer no clear pathway for economic growth within the hospitality sector."
The bigger picture: The closure came on the same day Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a 15 per cent business rates discount for pubs, worth an average of £1,650 per venue. However, the support excluded restaurants and hotels, which face business rates rises of up to 25 per cent and 115 per cent respectively over the next three years.
More than 500 pubs have closed since Labour took power in July 2024, according to reports.
The news follows years of turbulent trading for Revel, which has reportedly racked up £36m of losses over the last four years, while last year, the group said Labour's decision to raise employers' National Insurance would knock £4m off its annual profits.
For context: Kate Nicholls, chairwoman of UKHospitality, said following Tuesday's announcement: "The reality remains that we still have restaurants and hotels facing severe challenges from successive budgets. Without clear action, they will face increasingly tough decisions on business viability, jobs and prices for consumers."
Suffolk industry leaders had warned Ipswich.co.uk ahead of the announcement that "the devil will be in the details" of how the support would be delivered.
The bottom line: Revolution's closure removes a venue from Ipswich's nightlife offering amid a wider crisis affecting hundreds of pubs and bars nationwide.
Ipswich.co.uk has contacted the owners for further information, including the number of job losses at the Ipswich venue.
