Regent Inns

<25A0> 1977: Company founded; David Franks at helm
<25A0> 1983: Starts joint venture with Jongleurs comedy clubs
<25A0> April 1993: Joins stock market, raising 6.5m
<25A0> June 1998: Shock profit warning sees share price dive from 388.5p to 100p; finance director Clive Watson resigns, following problems with like-for-like sales figures
<25A0> March 1999: Merger talks with SFI called off
<25A0> February 2000: Stephen Haupt and Simon Rowe join as managing director and finance director respectively; Haupt becomes chief executive in September 2000 after company founder David Franks resigns this post to become a non-executive director
<25A0> December 2000: Shares suspended; readmitted to stock market in March 2001
<25A0> August 2000: Regent buys all of Jongleurs and declares focus on two brands, Jongleurs and Walkabout, and disposals of non-themed bars
<25A0> September 2004: Both Haupt and Rowe resign abruptly, and company admits it has breached banking covenants
<25A0> October 2004: Bob Ivell and John Leslie join