Jobs lost as Brisbane restaurant owner closes without notice and goes skiing

A HIGH-PROFILE Brisbane restaurateur has left 21 staff jobless after making the shock announcement – from the Canadian ski slopes – that he would not be reopening two of his three restaurants.

A HIGH-profile Brisbane restaurateur has left 21 staff jobless after making the shock announcement – from the Canadian ski slopes – that he would not be reopening two of his three restaurants.

TJ Peabody – heir to the huge Peabody family fortune – jetted out with his family to Whistler, the ski resort of the rich and famous, before Christmas, leaving the announcement that his businesses had closed to be made to staff via email.

Devastated workers said they had been worried for some time that the restaurants – Burnt Ends and Nativo Kitchen and Bar at The Barracks in Petrie Terrace – were failing, with staff forced to go to Coles to get produce after suppliers cut them off.

They said they felt let down after being given assurances by Mr Peabody that both restaurants would reopen after the New Year break.

Restaurateur TJ Peabody (in the red jacket) on a ski holiday in Whistler, Canada.

Nativo waitress Madison Rath said staff felt “very disheartened, frustrated and just completely betrayed”.

“The chef, Cody, asked TJ straight up, ‘Are we trading next year?’ and (was told) ‘Yes, of course’,” she said.

Burnt Ends and Nativo Kitchen and Bar were due to reopen at the end of the month, but last weekend removalists were called in, stripping the venues of TVs, computers and alcohol and leaving 21 casual and full-time staff with no jobs to return to.

“The manager, she said she woke up and felt a bit funny so she checked the cameras to the office and Nativo and everything was just gone,” Ms Rath said.

Madison Rath is disappointed the restaurants closed without notice, leaving her and fellow staff without a job. Picture: AAP/Steve Pohlner

Staff then tried contacting Mr Peabody without success, only to receive an email notifying them of the closure.

Staff were then asked to call into a teleconference on Wednesday with the Peabody Family Office and Bentleys Corporate Recovery to discuss potential redundancies.

“When it came out everyone was sort of shocked with the haste of it all because we’d just been given a three-week holiday period where everyone thought they were coming back to a job essentially and that was just shocking for everyone that it could get done by email and not even in person,” Ms Rath said.

Ms Rath said staff had their suspicions things were not going well for the business with trade slow and a number of suppliers cutting them off.

Employees were even sent to Coles to buy ingredients for Nativo, while the quality of produce was reduced to save money and the wine list was not restocked.

Mr Peabody released a statement blaming financial reasons for the closures.

“Our goal for both restaurants and the catering business was always to over-deliver on customer expectations,” he said.

“While we firmly believe we achieved that, the challenge we had was matching our goal with the costs involved. It simply became financially unfeasible.”

CEO of the TE Peabody Family Office, Michael Wilding, said the company was working closely with employees, including two foreign employees who risk losing their visas, to ensure the “best outcome possible”, with redundancies scheduled for payment on Monday.

“Closing them (the restaurants) this week ensured all staff redundancies and suppliers are paid in full,’’ he said.

TJ Peabody in Nickel Kitchen & Bar in Fortitude Valley. Picture: Russell Shakespeare

Mr Peabody is the son of rich-lister Terry Peabody, whose wealth is estimated to be $584 million through stakes in Craggy Range wines and waste management operation Transpacific Industries.

The closure also includes Nantucket Catering. It marks the end of a turbulent 12 months for the restaurateur, who pulled the shutters on Nantucket Kitchen and Bar at Indooroopilly and Fortitude Valley fine diner Nickel Kitchen & Bar last year. NKB Express at Indooroopilly is open, but is for sale.