TV chef Nico Simeone forced to shut restaurant over ‘rotting & smelly floors’ as he sues landlord for £4.4m after leak
TV chef Nico Simeone was forced to shut his restaurant over "rotting and foul-smelling floors" caused by a leak, court documents claim.
The Glasgow-born entrepreneur starred in the BBC's Nico's Menu Mission and is the founder of restaurant chain Six by Nico.
Founded in 2017, the concept diner has grown to 14 restaurants, with branches in London, Belfast, Dublin and Cardiff.
But in 2022 the 34-year-old was forced to close his Liverpool branch following a devastating flood - which the freeholders say was caused by a dishwasher.
He is now suing the freeholder for £4.4 million at London's High Court for lost profits and other expenses, as well as for a refurb and relaunch of the restaurant
According to court documents, his company bought the lease to the Merseyside restaurant in 2019.
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It then embarked on a major refit but claims to have suffered repeated leaks since moving in.
Lawyers for Mr Simeone say water began pouring into the restaurant due to badly sealed walls, filling a storage room, rotting the restaurant floor and causing mould.
Despite a complaint being made with the freeholder, the problem was not solved and it continued to be hit by water ingress.
A "substantial flood" then occurred in December 2021, causing damage to stock and equipment, rendering the basement unusable, barrister Hugh Jackson said.
He added: "By around Jan 2022, the basement rooms comprising staff rooms at the premises had become so damp, mouldy and unhygienic that the claimant had to instruct its staff to cease to use the same."
But the freeholder has denied leaky walls were to blame, instead saying an industrial dishwasher was behind the floods.
Barrister Elizabeth Fitzgerald added: "Further investigations after the event have revealed the existence of a pressurised hot water cylinder which is showing signs of having been poorly installed.
"Since the claimant vacated the premises, the basement has slowly dried out and has remained dry. The claimant is aware of this."
She said the freeholder also denies that Mr Simeone's restaurant could not reopen and alleges he owes around £60,000 in rent and that it had forfeited its lease because of that.
The case is currently at an early stage and it yet come before a judge.
The Sun approached Mr Simeone for comment.
