Business dream shattered as restaurant shuts down suddenly

Matt Whittaker and Amara Bains are resilient people and they'll be relying on that as they rebuild after their hospitality dreams were shattered.

DISAPPOINTED: Matt Whittaker and Amara Bains were operating Pots and Pans restaurant in Peregian Springs before their hospitality dreams were shattered. Picture: John McCutcheon

MATT Whittaker and Amara Bains say they are resilient people and they'll be relying on that over the next few months as they rebuild after their hospitality dreams were shattered.

The pair had been running Pots & Pans Kitchen and Bar, a restaurant at Peregian Springs, for just more than a year before their venture suddenly ended.

Their restaurant had built up somewhat of a cult following with regulars in the residential pocket at the northern end of the Sunshine Coast.

But Mother Nature threw up plenty of hurdles.

Constant downpours greeted the opening of their business, during an unseasonably wet lead-in to summer, on the back of what Amara said she'd been told was the coldest winter since 1996.

LIQUIDATORS APPOINTED: Popular Pots & Pans Kitchen and Bar closed in mid-October and liquidators have now been appointed. Picture: Contributed

Those two weather phenomenons combined to keep plenty of people indoors and away from their fledgling business.

"We didn't expect to be hit so hard by the seasons in a residential area," Ms Bains said.

"We were a new business, we'd just started, we'd invested a lot of money in the fitting out."

On October 19 the pair made an announcement on social media that they were closing.

On November 12 liquidators were appointed to wind up the company Matt directed, Pots & Pans @ Peregian Pty Ltd, which had only been registered in July last year.

It was a bitter pill for the pair to swallow.

Matt had 25 years' experience as a chef, was Michelin star-trained, ran restaurants all over the world and worked with Gordon Ramsay.

Matt Whittaker was owner of Pots and pans restaurant in Peregian Springs before their dreams were shattered. Picture: John McCutcheon

His product was good, their regulars raved about the food, but sadly, the restaurant, his 'baby', still folded.

Ms Bains said they'd been negotiating time on rent arrears and a few other issues with the tenancy when they were advised their time was up, which she acknowledged was within the landlord's rights.

"We were working well over 70 hours a week in the business," she said.

They were given hugs and flowers as they cleared out the venue, which they'd aimed to turn into a "heart" for the Peregian Springs community.

Ms Bains said they were "so grateful" to the local community and despite having "lost everything", they were keen to "do something again" once their savings were replenished.

"We just need the right place and opportunity," she said.

"If we could've just got out of that low season. We knew what we were doing, we just needed more time. We were just starting to climb out.

"We're quite resilient individuals."