Sneaky Pickle, cult USA-style restaurant in Adelaide, closes because it was too popular and hard to manage
The owners of Adelaide restaurant Sneaky Pickle have closed their doors for good – but not because they were losing money.
Food & Wine
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Cult favourite American BBQ restaurant, Sneaky Pickle, has closed its doors for good.
Owners Jeff and Amanda Griffiths made the tough decision not because they went broke, but rather because they had become so busy, they burnt out.
“We started to build up before COVID and then continued on this really steep incline … we increased numbers by 50-60 per cent in three to four weeks,” says Jeff.
“It’s not that we didn’t love it, we just couldn’t maintain it.”
It’s been a fast road to success for the pair, who started with a small food truck in 2012, then moved to a bigger one, then opened a restaurant, then moved to a bigger restaurant – in Goodwood – at the end of 2018.
That diner would seat 180, or up to 150 with COVID restrictions in place.
“We would have a full restaurant with 30-40 people waiting in the hallway,” Jeff says. “We’ve had the police in every weekend the past three weekends, because the numbers are so huge. We were trying to get security on the door; it was unbelievable.”
The news comes a month after Sneaky Pickle shared security footage showing one disgruntled diner forcing her way through the restaurant to sit down after being told the venue was at capacity.
Jeff says the pair tried a bookings-only system, but “the Sneaky Pickle phenomenon doesn't work like that”.
“We can take bookings, cap bookings, and then 250 people show up at the door – ‘what do we do now?’,” he says. “It just became a monster.”
Saying goodbye wasn’t easy for the pair, who have worked as chefs for 30 years.
“We are humble owners who are humbled by the wonderful people,” Jeff says.
“It’s like losing a friend. But when Sunday comes and you can barely walk and your knuckles are dragging on the ground, you’ve got to reassess.
“We have lots of ideas, but right now, Manny and I need time off.”
The pair still have a little bit of stock to move, so will be doing a few random pop-ups with their truck – keep an eye on social media.
“We’re actually going back to what it was like in those first few weeks (of business),” Jeff says. “You’ve gotta chase us to find us.”
