THE future of a city bar and restaurant is uncertain after its premises were put up for sale.

Primo Bar & Dining, in Sidbury, was taken over by married couple Nick and Louise Fenton at the end of last year but they say they are looking to focus on their other ventures.

The premises’ leasehold has been put on the market over the last couple of weeks with only the bar currently open to customers.

"We have made a decision to sell Primo due to significant expansion, growth and continued success within our other two companies, and as such, requires our full attention and commitment," said Louise.

"Primo is a great city centre bar and restaurant and we thank our customers and staff for their support.

"We wish the new owners, when the venue is sold, the very best," she added.

The sale is being handled by RTA business consultants with an online advert stating the leasehold price as £75,000 and the current occupant’s annual turnover as £390,000.

Primo was first opened in February 2016 by cousins Ali and Yanni Cokaj in the space previously home to Bindles Bar & Brasserie and before that The Glasshouse.

The Cokajs oversaw the addition of an extra bar upstairs prior to opening over three years ago.

They had moved from Albania more than a decade before, with Ali also owning Papas Caffe in New Street.

In September 2017, Primo was granted permission to use its rear beer garden despite a neighbour saying noise from the venue had made her "life a misery".

The rear garden had been transformed into an extended drinking and dining area of the restaurant earlier that year, despite it not being covered by the licence.

The move was outside the remit of the Sidbury restaurant’s premises licence, which authorised sale of alcohol between 11pm and 1am, Friday and Saturday, and 11pm and midnight, Sunday and Thursday.

A hearing of Worcester City Council’s licensing sub-committee heard that, after complaints, licensing officers sent the owners a letter in July warning of the infringement.

This prompted Primo’s owners to apply for a variation of the premises licence, and the Guildhall hearing to be arranged. Ali apologised and said he didn't realise the variation was required, with the committee accepting it was an "oversight".