One of Swindon’s newest restaurants has permanently closed - just over a year after it first opened.

Signs had been put on the door of Funky Grilla in Regent Circus a few weeks ago saying that it had temporarily closed for ‘internal repairs to its lighting system’

But it has been revealed that the Korean BBQ restaurant will not reopen its doors to the public as the parent company that owns it - DSM Holdings and Services Limited - has been issued a notice for compulsory strike-off

This means that the company is no longer trading or has failed to conform to legal requirements, so is being formally closed and removed from the register.

Read More: Funky Grilla restaurant closed for repairs

Speaking to the Swindonian, the company director of DSM Holdings and manager of Funky Grilla, Amar Cela, blamed the decision on the cost-of-living crisis causing prices for utilities and stock to raise to unmanageable levels.

He said: “Due to rising costs of gas, electricity, and stock prices we cannot afford to carry on the operation. We did try to explore an avenue in change of menu, reduces ingredients prices but unfortunately this just wasn’t viable to the quality.

“I would like to thank the Swindon public for all their support, but we are all disappointed at the closure in these uncertain times.”

The restaurant’s website is no longer functioning, with the URL redirecting to the Zpos website hosting service that used to run it.

The Company’s House page for DSM Holdings and Services Limited says it is a licensed restaurant business and adds that the accounts made up to December 31, 2021 are months overdue, having been required on September 15.

The restaurant was founded by a trio of prominent Swindon businessmen, David Lai, Sat Nijjar and Marc Stow and officially opened in July last year after months of construction work at the Regent Circus unit.

The Companies House records show that DSM Holdings was incorporated by the trio, who all served as directors, in December 2020 but changed hands to Amar Cela on August 24 this year, ending their involvement in the business.

Mr Cela is also the director of another business – Clearbright Food Limited – which was incorporated in July 2022 by Stacie Leannia Robinson, before it changed hands to Cela in August.

The registered address for this licensed restaurant, take-away food shop and other food services business was Funky Grilla’s address up until October 3, when it was changed to Ibs House, Fleet Street, Swindon.