G1 Group

G1 Group PLC
Public limited company
Founder Stefan King
Website www.g1group.co.uk

G1 Group is a Scottish hospitality and leisure operator[1] based in Glasgow, run by entrepreneur Stefan King. The company operates more than 45 venues,[2] including some of Scotland's trendiest clubs, bars, restaurants and cinemas.[3][4]

History

The G1 Group's first venue, Club X on Royal Exchange Square in Glasgow, was opened in 1990.[5] In 2011, the Group moved into the former BBC headquarters in Queen Margaret Drive, which was built in 1869 and had housed BBC Scotland between 1936-2007.[6] The G1 Group expanded into Edinburgh in 2011 after investing almost £30 million in acquiring a number of Edinburgh pubs.[7]

Controversy

Two-way mirror

The Shimmy Club in Glasgow, which is a G1 Group venue, hit headlines in 2013 after allowing male patrons to use a spy mirror into the women's bathrooms. The city's licensing board forced the venue to close for a week because of the risk of "predatory behaviour" towards young women, then ordered the club to remove the two-way mirror and put its staff through equalities training as a licensing condition.[8]

The club had re-opened on 3 May 2013 following a £300,000 makeover, and the first complaints about the mirror were made that month; one complaint to the police was made by a 23-year-old woman following "an incident" relating to the two-way mirror.[9] Clubbers said that there were no notices or signs to inform women entering the bathrooms that they could be spied on by men who had booked private booths on the other side of the mirror.[10]

A post on the club's Facebook page at the time stated: "The Shimmy Club's two-way mirror is a design feature created as a bit of fun."[11]

Rape joke quiz

G1 Group was forced to make a public apology in 2013 after a quizmaster at one of its venues repeatedly made "sexist, misogynistic and homophobic comments", including asking the question: "Is it still rape if you kill her first?"[12] One member of the public said that after complaining to the quizmaster on the night, he and his friends were told they were no longer welcome at the bar.[13]

The weekly event at Radio, a Glasgow bar owned by G1 Group, was axed after the complaints.[14]

Disabled access

In 2014, a disabled couple won a discrimination case against G1 Group after they were refused entry from the Polo Lounge, a G1 Group venue. Bouncers did not allow them into the Glasgow venue, which the couple had visited before, because they claimed it had no disabled facilities.[15]

Minimum wage

In 2015, G1 Group was named and shamed for not paying the minimum wage to almost 3,000 workers.[16]

The firm illegally underpaid staff by more than £45,000 by making deductions from wages to pay for staff uniforms and training.[17] G1 Group stopped this practice after it was named by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills in a list of companies that failed to pay the minimum wage.

References

  1. ↑ Eversham, Emma (26 July 2011). "G1 Group launches new company to increase Edinburgh presence". Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  2. ↑ "G1 Group - Ourstory". Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  3. ↑ McNeill, Colin (20 January 2015). "Stefan King's G1 nightclub chain runs into trouble over financial claims". Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  4. ↑ McCulloch, Stuart (10 October 2013). "Leisure firm G1 Group reports 24% jump in annual profits". Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  5. ↑ "The Hot Scots Power 40: Stefan King, G1 Group". The Caterer. 21 February 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  6. ↑ "Stefan King's G1 group moves to old BBC HQ". 16 November 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  7. ↑ Jordan, Eilis (27 July 2011). "G1 Group acquires several Edinburgh pubs". Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  8. ↑ Carrell, Severin (15 June 2013). "Shimmy Club shut down for week after putting women and children 'at risk'". Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  9. ↑ Alexander, Derek (16 June 2013). "Glasgow nightclub closed after installing two-way mirror in the ladies' toilet faces new storm over X-rated Facebook rants about women clubbers". Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  10. ↑ Stuart, Gavin (15 June 2013). "Glasgow club has seven days to remove two-way mirror in toilets". Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  11. ↑ "Police investigate two-way mirror in ladies' toilet at Glasgow nightclub". 22 May 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  12. ↑ Loxton, Rachel (31 July 2013). "Apology over Glasgow pub quiz 'rape' question". Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  13. ↑ Smith, Jim (30 July 2013). "Quizmaster axed after 'asking is it rape if you kill her first?'". Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  14. ↑ Campsie, Alison (31 July 2013). "Anger over rape jokes at G1 Group pub quiz in Glasgow". Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  15. ↑ Coyle, Matt (11 June 2014). "Disabled couple refused entry to nightclub win discrimination case". Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  16. ↑ Coyle, Matt (24 March 2015). "Tycoon Stefan King's G1 Group failed to pay minimum wage to 2900 staff". Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  17. ↑ "Leisure chain G1 Group in minimum wage reversal". 24 March 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
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