Greenwich Inc

I'm sorry for the employees facing uncertainty, but has to be a good thing - the quality of all Inc-owned establishments, like the Trafalgar or Admiral Hardy, has plummeted since Frank bought them, and this might put paid to the application for that towering edifice to replace the old Trident Hall.

The Administrators are working on plans for the business at the moment. We are happy to report that business is very good and the events diary at the O2 in particular is very full. We shall be publishing our proposals as soon as we can.

Stephen Hunt, Joint Administrator.

I wouldn't wish ill on anyone who is facing administration or insolvency. The last few years of economic recession have caused a lot of businesses to have cash flow problems, and regardless of your personal feelings towards an individual it is a horrendous situation to find yourself in. Don't be vindictive, a lot of my clients and friends are employed by Inc, and they will be having a harsh Christmas if the company can't trade out of its current difficulties, which judging by the amount of people passing through their doors shouldn't be too difficult.

As for Frank, he's never had a harsh word for me or my staff and has always supported my business with his custom, I wish him the best. We don't know the full story and as result have no right to judge until aware of all the facts. Most of all I hope the situation resolves itself to the benefit of all involved and for Greenwich as a community.

I agree with Paul T - Dowling has done untold damage to what were great Greenwich pubs and restaurants. The Trafalgar is now an over-priced tourist trap, the Hardy is a joke, he killed both the Bar du Musee and the Cricketers, and the Spread Eagle offers absurdly priced, inedible food in a faux-period environment.

I really hope the administrators will force them to sell their Greenwich venues (perhaps so that they can concentrate on the O2?) so that they can be taken over by decent independent landlords/restaurateurs who will provide locals and visitors alike with a quality offering.

It's alright for people to comment however I have to disagree with Mr Hunt and Franklin. As a fellow Greenwich resident I have nothing but good things to say about Mr Dowling and his venues. I have heard what these administrators are doing from various sources. They are destroying a great business and affecting the whole community. People are losing their jobs at the hand of the administrators. Just 2 weeks before Christmas. Where's the compassion?!!!! You only have to look at Hunt vs Hosking on google to see the true colours of this individual. Stop the cruel insanity I say!!!!

Truth Only -

If people are losing their jobs as a result of Inc going bust, it's sad, but it's not the administrators' fault - it's Frank Dowling's fault. He's the one responsible for not only for destroying some of Greenwich's greatest pubs and restaurants, but also clearly running the whole business into the ground.

And what good do you have to say about any Inc venue in Greenwich? What venue of his do you like? Did you ever go to the Bar du Musee before Frank ruined it? Or the Cricketers, or the Hardy, or the Spread Eagle? These were all great venues, and they now all suck.

And have you looked at the Trafalgar at any point in the past several years? The fabric of the building is so neglected that the architect of the proposed Trident Hotel cited its poor condition in her design statement, FFS.

And who closed it.......?!!! Leaving many people out of jobs and Christmas day meals cancelled!!!! And they haven't even called us to let us know about it. Who cares if there's a little but if chipped paint here and there. Whether you like Mr Dowling or not someone is clearly acting horrifically against Greenwich and him.

Just read the tweet..... Extremely sad if the Traf closes I say. Clearly more supporters out there of Frank Dowling and his businesses than you think Franklin!

I live and work in the town centre 7 days a week, and I went to all the establishments before and after Inc group acquired them. Bar du Musee had its high points and lows, some nights were brilliant and some truly appalling dependent on staff and clients. The Hardy has always been relatively consistent and I love the staff in there - its a pub no frills and perfect for me. The Coach is another fine pub and I split my patronage between both. The town centre has a lot of poor restaurants, many of who have had health notices issued against them - and it doesn't seem to come down to weather Frank Dowling runs them or not. Its a fairly broad church of crap through mediocre to excellent and Franklin you seem to be singling Inc out for special attention. Be honest the majority of restaurants and pubs in the central area of Greenwich need to raise their game. I am constantly asked by visitors and customers to recommend somewhere and I struggle. So instead of moaning lets all try and support the good businesses and show a bit of compassion to the people about to lose their jobs. I wouldn't want to be in their shows now and I truly believe you wouldn't wish ill towards them Franklin despite your dislike of one individual. As always Chinese whispers as I don't know the truth behind all this

FYI Rob Admin just heard from connected sources that the Trafalgar, Admiral Hardy and Inc Club aren't part of the administration so this information is completely wrong and a down right lie. Mr Hunt no doubt you should have corrected this no....?!

Here here Mr Rocket.... Let's all be honest... Greenwich hardly offers fine dining in any of its venues and there's plenty not owned by Mr Dowling. Although I must say... His design of Bar Du Musee was spectacular. Most would probably credit Jamie's Italian but it was Dowling who put the glass roof in etc. Wonderful venue then and now

Yep down right lie.... Website clearly hasn't been updated for a while! It's nice to see no news from the actual admins themselves to agree on my comment. Although from what you read on them they aren't very nice people. At all. It's ok to get things wrong Rob Admin. Not gonna hold it against you

Truth Only -

I don't know Frank Dowling and so don't dislike (or like) him. However, I hate what he's done to the various pubs and restaurants he's owned in Greenwich - including destroying two of them altogether.

When you go bust and your business goes into administration, it's not because people are "acting horribly against you", it's because you can't pay your bills, including your bank loans. I find it extraordinary that you think it's the fault of the administrators rather than the owner.

Johnny Rocket -

I'm not "singling out" Greenwich Inc - they're the topic of this post, they've gone bust, and I'm just glad that ownership of their pubs and restaurants might change hands. If any other of the crap pubs or restaurants in the area - and I agree there are a lot - looked likely to change ownership, I'd also be glad.

Franklin- you may or may not be right about bank loans ( I don't think we should be so presumptuous) but regardless of it all... People don't deserve to be sacked 2 weeks before Christmas and customers of the community deserve to be treated with respect and at least told instead of having to hear through the grapevine or by a piece of paper stuck on the window!! Greenwich Inc may be in administration but there's no need for the administrators to act in such a harsh way and close the Spread Eagle, a 50 year old land mark in Greenwich and I stress again cancel all Christmas bookings! And as mentioned above the Trafalgar Tavern and Admiral aren't part of the administration so shouldn't even be in the conversation!! Guess I am one of many disgruntled customers/Greenwich residents who aren't happy about this. Ba humbug to the administrators!

As I said, I am really sorry for the people whose jobs are in jeopardy. But these are all great venues, and they will bounce back.

And yes, Frank sadly did ruin many great places. Stripped out the Spreadeagle, replaced an old interior with a fake old interior, and ruined the menu. Destroyed the bar du musée, turned it into a soul-less cavern, and the Trafalgar - in both cases, the food was absolutely pitiful in recent years. I am sure he did some good things, but there were a lot of bad decisions - in particular, this compulsion to over-expand and keep acquiring more venues.

I have had a few friends worked for the Inc group, and I personally spent thousands there... can't say any of the employees there had warm words for the management, and in particular I was told the hefty service charges didn't go to the staff. Which says it all, really.

I am certain all those lovely venues will do a lot better with a new owner who focuses on food and service, rather than empire building. Best of luck to all the staff.

As someone who has worked for and had dealings with Greenwich Inc I have to say I'm not surprised that the Administrators have been called in. The running of the company has been a shambles for years. Of course it's terrible when any one loses their job so close to Christmas, but did you know that sometimes members of staff from Greenwich Inc didn't get paid at all? As an employee it was hit or miss if you would be paid on time, resulting in bank charges, people losing homes etc all because the management were thinking of themselves. As you know working in the hospitality industry isn't the best paid of careers. But do not despair, management always got paid on time it was us lesser beings that suffered for bad management and investments. Why was Bar De Muse sold? Because Greenwich Inc could not continue in Greenwich. Good bye Greenwich Inc, lets see some new enterprises into Greenwich and being it back to the wonderful place it was.