Landmark Preston nightspot Fives set to reopen with a new name- here's what we know so far

A banner has been places outside the former Fives building in Guildhall Street, which was last open in January 2023.

What do we know?

The signage is for Levantana Lounge, but contains no further information. While the company name has a social media presence, there is no further information other than a description as a restaurant and live music venue, with the address given as 51 Guildhall Street.

A search of Companies House reveals that Levantana Lounge was registered in August for the second floor of the building, and the sole director is 20-year-old Bachira Alhallak, who resides in Leyland but is described as Syrian.

Ms Alhallak is also named as a director of Thousand and One Nights Lounge Ltd - an ‘unlicensed restaurants/cafes’ registered on the third floor of 49-51 Guildhall Street, and Eastern Charm UK Ltd, registered to the basement of the building. The nature of that business is stated as ‘Take-away food shops and mobile food stands’.

The Post has reached out to the email address given on Levantana Lounge’s Facebook page.

This is why Smokin V’s Real Barbecue closed down in the basement

For sale

The building was put up for sale in February 2023 for £999,950 and remains listed on Rightmove. At the time Blackpool-based Duxburys Property Consultants Limited said there was a possibility it could be leased in parts. Rental figures were quoted as £50,000 for the first year and £80,000 for the second year onwards.

History of the building

The Grade II Listed and restored property was built in 1878, originally as the Preston Central Conservative Club, but in recent years has become known for eating, drinking and dancing.

The venue traded as nightspot Fives until 2006, reopening in 2007 as the Cocktail Factory in the basement, and became Vintage Bar and Priory Bar upstairs.

The building closed in 2011 and was purchased by Preston businessman Edgar Wallace in 2002 who had been working up to making the building a casino before selling the building to Simon Rigby in 2016.

Mr Rigby, who died in August 2020, oversaw its renovation before leasing it to Shaun Patchett, a London-based operator, who reopened it as Fives bar in 2017.

This business closed down on New Years' Eve 2018, and he later listed it for sale for £1.25m in February 2020.

Comedy Club ROFL began a lease of the top floor in summer 2021, but this has since come to an end, and until January, the basement of the building had been leased by steakhouse Smokin Vs Real Barbeque, but this closed due to the cost of living crisis.