Gaydar announces closure of flagship Soho bar

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Just days after shutting its radio station, Q Soft Consulting, the owners of dating website Gaydar, have announced the closure of its central London bar, Profile.

In a short statement, the company said: “It’s with great sadness that Bar Profile Limited can confirm that Profile and Lo-Profile will be permanently closing from 7 January 2013. The building is undergoing major refurbishments and an agreement was reached for the lease to be surrendered back to the landlord.

“Bar Profile Limited would like to sincerely thank the local Soho and wider gay community for its fantastic support over the past six years.”

Last Thursday, Q Soft announced it was quitting the radio business and from today (Monday 7 January) – Gaydio, a Manchester-based community station run by unpaid volunteers, is now broadcasting on Gaydar’s original DAB licences in London and the Sussex Coast.

Listeners inundated the station’s breakfast show with messages on Friday and urged for GaydarRadio to remain on air.

In March 2012, Q Soft announced it was looking for a buyer, but at the time assured staff that no deal would go ahead unless all three parts of the business: the radio station, dating platforms and bar venues could be protected.

QSoft’s operating profit doubled to £753,987 in 2011, the most recent year for which accounts are available, from £368,182 in 2010, but its losses on ordinary activities before taxation soared to more than £2m because of a one-off write-off in investment and loans of nearly £3m.

Last week, it was revealed that Bar Profile Limited had a debt of £2,953,452.

Henry Badenhorst, QSoft’s sole director and shareholder, was paid royalties of £532,920 in 2011, down from £571,370 the previous year.

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