Major UK restaurant chain rescued amid £37m debt administration

Las Iguanas, which runs 44 sites across the country but none currently in Oxfordshire, had warned it would “inevitably enter administration” if the deal was not sanctioned.

It previously operated an Oxford branch in Park End Street, which closed back in June 2017, leaving the county without any of the group’s Latin American-themed restaurants.

The chain is owned by Iguanas Holdings Ltd, a subsidiary of The Big Table Group, which also sits behind several familiar high-street brands including Frankie & Benny’s, Bella Italia and Banana Tree.

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In May, the company confirmed it had gone to court to seek approval for a restructuring plan intended to deal with its heavy debt pile.

At the time, bosses said that, without the move, the business would not be able to continue trading and would be forced into administration.

The court has now backed the plan, allowing around £37 million of debts to be cancelled or compromised and giving the chain a financial lifeline.

As part of the rescue, The Big Table Group is injecting £3 million of new funding into the business as part of a wider turnaround strategy.

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The deal also paves the way for reduced rents at certain sites and agreements with landlords on some outstanding sums, easing pressure on the company’s day‑to‑day cash flow.

Mr Justice Meade approved the scheme at a hearing in London, clearing the way for the restaurant operator to avoid collapse and continue trading.

The group has stressed that the restructuring relates only to the legal entity that holds the chain’s property leases and related costs, and does not involve the wider Big Table business, its suppliers, its employees or any of its other brands.

All 44 restaurants are continuing to operate as normal while the rescue plan is implemented, with the company presenting the deal as a way to secure the long‑term future of the brand and safeguard sites and jobs.