‘I still can’t believe it’s closed’: Cardone’s owner Nick Cardone reveals heartbreak over venue’s closure and fears for industry

The veteran restaurateur behind a Jetty Road institution has revealed his heartbreak over the venue’s closure – and he believes more hospitality businesses will soon follow suit.

The veteran restaurateur behind Jetty Road institution Cardone’s has revealed his heartbreak over the venue’s closure and said he believes more hospitality businesses will soon follow suit.

Nick Cardone is still coming to terms with the forced shutdown of his restaurant last week after 24 years operating in the same location at Glenelg.

“It really saddens me. This is my life. Day in, day out. I don’t remember having three days off in a row for a very, very long time,” he said.

“I get emotional about it. I still can’t believe it’s actually closed. It’s really taken a toll on me, it’s been very emotional and overwhelming to be honest.

“As disappointing as it is, it’s a sign of the times.”

Mr Cardone, who previously operated Jack’s Fish Shack in the same space, said he did all he could to keep the venue open.

“We’re in Glenelg and the Fringe draws a lot of people into town. It’s not easy. We didn’t recover from the pandemic, we got shut down during what’s usually our busy period,” he said.

“I held off as much as possible until I couldn’t any more. I just couldn’t sustain it at the levels we were heading and the sales really dropped – we couldn’t move forward.”

Mr Cardone, 58, said he expected more hospitality venues to shut in coming weeks until interest rates drop and consumer spending increases.

The team behind Cardone's on Jetty Road are closing their doors. They say goodbye. Pic: Facebook.

Owner Nick Cardone at Cardone’s on Jetty Road.

“People just aren’t spending any money. The average spend is well down,” he said.

“It used to be an entree, main and dessert, now it’s just an entree or a main. That’s just a sign of the times now.

“There’s going to be a lot more hospitality places closing.”

Mr Cardone started working at Jack’s Fish Shack, a Barnacle Bill-style fish and chips eatery back in 2000. He managed the venue and eventually bought the place, before turning it into his beloved Italian fine diner in 2012.

He said the state of Jetty Road hadn’t helped his business, with the well-known shopping and dining strip badly in need of a facelift.

Comedian Barry Humphries in Adelaide with Nick Cardone at Cardone’s in Glenelg in 2013.

“It’s really changed since I started work there. It used to be really vibrant, the foot traffic used to be huge at night,” Mr Cardone said.

“Now people are put off by it … it really needs a nip and tuck.”

The phone hasn’t stopped ringing since he announced the sudden closure of Cardone’s, just 24 hours before serving the final meal.

“People have been stopping by, left, right and centre, saying goodbye … they couldn’t believe it,” he said.

The memories have been flooding back for Mr Cardone, in particular the big-name guests who’ve visited over the years, from Barry Humphries and Bruce McAvaney to the Singaporean Prime Minister and a host of AFL players. But he’ll miss his regular patrons the most.

“The loyal customers who used to come here week in, week out. They’ve been so loyal to me that we’ve become friends. The outpouring of support has been incredible,” Mr Cardone said.

“I have such a passion for it. I’m such a people person. I really love it. I’m really going to miss it … but this is life.”