Roxy & Everybody’s liquidation: What went wrong and how much does it owe?

Roxy, the popular downtown Auckland club, closed its doors in February.

The first liquidator’s report on two popular downtown Auckland entertainment venues, Everybody’s and Roxy, shows the company owes more than $1.3 million to staff, creditors and the Inland Revenue Department.

Leh1 Limited, trading as Roxy & Everybody’s, went into liquidation on February 16 by appointment of the Auckland High Court.

The liquidator is the official assignee.

Samuel Rollason Ansley is listed as the company’s sole director. The company is owned by a trust whose independent trustees are Peter Rust and Simon Ansley.

According to the liquidator’s report, staff are owed $44,059.85.

The Inland Revenue, a preferential creditor, is owed $568,178.39.

Unsecured creditors are owed just over $740,000.

Genesis Energy, 2degrees, Mediaworks, Coke-Cola Amatil NZ, Moet Hennessy and Rentokil Initial are among some of the unsecured creditors listed in the liquidators’ report.

Secured creditors include BNZ, Bidfood, Pernod Ricard Winemakers and other alcohol companies.

The liquidator collected cash from the business premises of $512.60.

The company also owns a large quantity of alcohol as well as other various furniture, fittings and equipment held at the premises, which will be auctioned off.

The liquidator’s report said the company was still trading when it was placed into liquidation. The liquidator visited the trading address to close the business operations and secure the company’s assets.

Everybody’s – a bar and eatery – and Roxy – a nightclub – had been part of Auckland’s nightlife for 12 years. The neighbouring joints were located in the Imperial building on Fort Lane in the CBD.

In a post to Instagram announcing its closure last month, Roxy & Everybody’s cited tough trading conditions and the lasting impact of Covid-19.

“Although it will not be a surprise to anyone who understands how tough trading conditions have been for the hospitality world for the past four years, it was still a shock to us,” the post read.

“We had been fighting so hard to make what we were doing better, despite all the headwinds, however… those winds blew us over.”

Roxy & Everybody’s said while they had experienced incredible highs, the lows were just as frequent.

“The highs came from the amazing customers over the years, and the incredible people involved all the way through… this is the joy of serving people and creating memories,” it said in its post.

“The lows however were just as frequent… Covid and the lockdowns hit… losing our lifeblood of office workers, function goers, tourists and visitors starved the city of its oxygen.

“The barren landscape was then filled with violence, pushing the younger generations to avoid the city, and the late-night trade, which was our bastion, became an anchor dragging further into the sea.”

Cameron Smith is an Auckland-based journalist with the Herald business team. He joined the Herald in 2015 and has covered business and sports.