Flats plan as popular Southside pub the latest victim of Covid-19 era

A popular Edinburgh watering hole is set to disappear altogether if plans to transform it into flats are given the go ahead.

Sofi's Southside was the sister pub of the popular Sofi's in Henderson Street, Leith, which has also closed its doors during the pandemic.

A change of use application has been lodged with planners at the City of Edinburgh Council that would see Sofi’s Southside bar converted into three flats.

All areas associated with the former public house in the city’s Buccleuch Street, which previously operated as the Meadow Bar, Moo Bar, and Southside Social, will be stripped out to form a one bedroom flat and two studio flats.

Applicant Visser Property Investments Ltd will also make changes to the front and rear elevations of the property, which is housed within a B listed tenement building.

Boda Bars, who were the last owners of the public house and operated it as Sofi’s Southside, have been forced to close a number of their pubs in recent times.

Prior to coronavirus restrictions coming into effect, the Swedish bar and restaurant chain, had a turnover of £5 million and employed more than 100 staff, but has had to offload many and has seen the number of pubs under its banner cut in half to just four.

Sofi’s Southside had operated as a social enterprise, reinvesting its profits into training and staff development opportunities, and was previously a sister pub to the popular Sofi’s on Henderson Street, Leith, which opened in 2005. However, the Leith bar was sold to a new owner last year as the pandemic took hold.

The Boda group continues to run Joseph Pearce, Victoria, Akva and Hemma.

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