Former Embassy Sports Lounge owner Andrew Macdonald has accused MovieTowne management of subjecting his business to escalating electricity charges, harassment and restrictions that he said contributed to its closure.
MovieTowne yesterday told Kiskadee Watch that some of Macdonald’s claims are false and promised to release a statement addressing the issues.
Macdonald made the allegations in a statement published on the Embassy Sports Lounge’s Facebook page, in which he said the business had operated at MovieTowne for 18 months before closing.
He said that during that period, he paid monthly rent of $3 million but faced electricity charges that were first doubled and subsequently quadrupled to nearly $1 million, without an explanation of how the amount was calculated.
Macdonald said that he was never allowed to examine the original Guyana Power and Light (GPL) bill to verify the charges.
He further said that he was denied access to the mall’s elevators, which he said were needed to transport approximately 1,500 pounds of stock to the third floor each week.
Among his allegations, Macdonald said that a security guard threatened him with an M-16 rifle, while another allegedly attempted to extort money from him to maintain access to his business. He said that after he refused to pay, the guard locked the gates to his location.
He also said that he had received information suggesting an arrangement had been made with the owners of another entity to force him out so they could take over the location. However, he acknowledged that he could not confirm whether that information was accurate.
Kiskadee Watch visited MovieTowne’s corporate office yesterday and spoke with Human Resources Manager Ganesh Deodat, who said the company was not previously aware of the statement published on the Embassy Sports Lounge’s Facebook page.
After being shown the post, Deodat said MovieTowne would provide a more detailed response to the allegations.
During the engagement, he also told Kiskadee Watch that approximately half of the claims made in Macdonald’s post were incorrect, but did not specify which allegations the company disputed.
Up to the time of publication, MovieTowne had not provided the promised statement.
Macdonald’s account comes nearly three years after Kosmos Grill and Lounge announced that December 2023 would be its final month at MovieTowne, citing difficulties in its relationship with management and the impact of construction associated with the mall’s Ferris wheel venture.
In a report published on December 18, 2023, Stabroek News quoted Kosmos owner Abigail DeRamos as saying that construction during peak business hours had affected customer support, with dust and noise from the work contributing to a decline in business.
DeRamos said the reduced customer traffic made it difficult for the business to meet expenses, including rent, staff wages and utility bills. Kosmos had 22 employees on its payroll when it closed.
The business had also complained that reasonable attempts to resolve its concerns with management had been met with indifference.
MovieTowne, however, disputed the suggestion that there was an irreparable problem between the two businesses. Its management said it valued Kosmos and did not want the restaurant to leave, while maintaining that tenants had been notified about the planned expansion and that businesses near the Ferris wheel were expected to benefit from the attraction.
Kosmos nevertheless closed in December 2023.
The closure was followed by that of Outside Bar and Lounge in June 2024, another nightlife venue that had operated at the complex. Its operators said they intended to rebrand and relaunch a new concept elsewhere.
In an August 2025 report, Stabroek News noted the departures of both Kosmos and Outside Bar as MovieTowne continued to change its mix of dining and entertainment businesses.
While the circumstances surrounding the closures differ, the accounts of former tenants have highlighted concerns ranging from operational disruptions and difficulties meeting expenses to disagreements with management.
Macdonald said the closure of the Embassy Sports Lounge resulted in the loss of 12 jobs. He also used his statement to criticise what he described as corruption and cronyism in Guyana’s business environment, arguing that such conditions could discourage investors.
Discussion