PHOTO: Jamie Oliver. URBAN LIST
Jamie Oliver has witnessed the closure of his restaurant in Australia, as it entered voluntary administration.
Situated at Pacific Fair in the Gold Coast, Jamie Oliver’s Pizzeria marked the renowned chef’s inaugural establishment in Australia. It ceased operations on September 8, following a series of closures of his other restaurants in the country in recent years.
This establishment was under the management of the Hallmark Hospitality Group, which oversees various restaurants and nightclubs in the Gold Coast area. Matt Heanen, a director at Hallmark, informed administrators Anne Meagher and Matthew Bookless of SV Partners that the company possessed a mere $7,336 in assets.
The Gold Coast restaurant, Jamie Oliver’s Pizzeria (pictured), was shut on September 8 after blaming customers’ tightening pockets during a cost-of-living crisis for a decline in business
Heanen also disclosed that the company was burdened with a debt of $91,843 in rent and $915,681 in payments to related parties, totaling slightly over $1 million. Mr. Bookless, speaking to the Gold Coast Bulletin, noted that all employee payments had been made before the closure.
The company’s downfall was attributed to the financial strain on consumers during the cost-of-living crisis, which had a direct impact on the business.
A statement on behalf of the company expressed the intention to search for new locations for Jamie Oliver’s Pizzeria restaurants, acknowledging the local and international support the brand has received from patrons, employees, suppliers, and the Gold Coast community.
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The restaurant’s website indicates the prospect of a “new location coming soon.” It initially opened its doors in October 2019, just five months after the collapse of the chef’s British restaurant chain, which left over 1,000 people unemployed and incurred debts exceeding $160 million. When the Gold Coast restaurant first opened, Oliver described it as “the perfect city to launch Jamie Oliver’s Pizzeria Down Under.”
In other news, Jamie Oliver is being considered, along with other celebrity chefs, as a potential replacement for the late Jock Zonfrillo as the host of Masterchef Australia.
According to an insider from Woman’s Day, “International names such as Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson, and Shannon Bennett have all been thrown around.” The network is also contemplating the return of “heritage” figures to the series, including original judges George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan, in an effort to attract older viewers.
SOURCE: THE DAILY MAIL