A Barnsley Council Spokesperson said: “The bar in Market Kitchen offers a great commercial opportunity and is a key part of The Glass Works offer.
“The bar’s original four-year lease ended back in September 2023. Since then, Cucina Sky Lounge has continued to operate under a tenancy-at-will agreement, which ended on the mutually agreed date, Sunday 16 June. We delivered a fair and transparent tender process where all businesses, including Cucina, were invited to apply for the new lease.
“As Market Kitchen is a thriving venue, we received several applications from local and regional businesses, and a new tenant has been successfully appointed in True North Brew Company.
“We have been working closely with both Cucina and True North to ensure a smooth transition, making sure that it’s business as usual for tenants and customers in Market Kitchen. We'd like to thank Cucina and all their staff for the last four years. We're pleased at least one of the team has taken up the new tenant's offer to retain all staff and will continue to work at the bar when it reopens.
“The tender process included a range of assessment criteria including the quality of the customer experience, pricing strategy and offering value for money to customers, and how they would work together with other vendors in Market Kitchen, the Market and The Glass Works."
A spokesperson for True North Brew Co said: “We are thrilled to announce the opening of our new bar in the vibrant Market Kitchen at The Glass Works. Unexpectedly we have noticed some discussions on social media regarding the retention of the existing staff.
“Our goal was to retain all current employees, hence we worked with Cucina to invite everyone to a meeting to discuss the transfer of their roles. Unfortunately only one member of staff attended and we are pleased to announce they have been successfully appointed. Following this we opened up the remaining positions to new applicants via a recruitment evening.”