Operating company De Shop Evenementenhal on the Rijnkaai in Antwerp is bankrupt. Due to the corona crisis, the company was without income for more than a year.
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The Shop Evenementenhal (DSE) is an operating company that has been operating the event hall of the same name on the Rijnkaai in Antwerp since 2019.
She also partly ran discotheques Club Vaag, Roxy and Lima, and the summer bar Jardim. Together, the businesses formed the hip entertainment district on the Antwerp Island. At least, that’s how it was until last year.
“Everything has been closed since March 13, 2020,” says Barbara Soens, spokeswoman for DSE. ‘That means about fifteen months without income. Moreover, the subsidy from the government is more than insufficient and Vlaio has recently refused regular support payments, because she believes that too many opening days were reported. You cannot survive without support. So DSE has stopped the payments.’
DSE has been in financial difficulties before. In 2019, the company had applied for protection against creditors. ‘Due to an internal dispute with a shareholder who unexpectedly wanted his loan back, the company temporarily ran into difficulties,’ says Soens. ‘We prevented that by seeking protection from the courts. A recovery plan was drawn up and approved by a majority of creditors. The situation was therefore by no means problematic at the end of 2019. Roxy was even renewed.’
It is not clear what will happen to the nightclubs Roxy, Lima and Club Vaag, and to summer bar Jardim. ‘Those names are not owned by the company. It is being examined whether a restart is possible’, says Soens.
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