National food chain Rashays signs lease for former Maroochydore Sizzlers site

An Australian owned restaurant chain will move in to the former Sizzler site after the empty property became a hotspot for graffiti and homeless people.

Rashays founder Rami Ykmour will open a restaurant on the Sunshine Coast at the former Maroochydore Sizzler site.

A national food chain that made headlines last week for an alleged Covid-19 breach in New South Wales has signed a lease for the former Maroochydore Sizzler site.

Australian-owned restaurant chain Rashays is expected to move in to the Aerodrome Road property which has been empty since Sizzler’s closure late last year.

The franchise’s founder Rami Ykmour made headlines last Thursday after he was charged by police over an alleged Covid-19 breach.

The restaurateur was arrested at Rashays head office in New South Wales after an anonymous tip that staff were not wearing masks.

He was taken to Parramatta Police Station where he was later charged with hindering police in their investigations into alleged noncompliance with the mask mandate.

Colliers Sunshine Coast leasing executive Daniel Vella said there was strong interest in the Maroochydore property from a number of food chains.

He said Rashays’ lease for 10 years, with options to extend, would start on August 1.

Rashays founder Rami Ykmour. Picture: Instagram

“The company is doing a massive expansion program across Australia and the Sunshine Coast had been on their radar,” Mr Vella said.

“In terms of a large format restaurant there wasn’t anything readily available in the area unless it was newly built.

“So this was partially an opportunistic (lease) but also part of their expansion program.”

The site has been graffitied and more recently used by homeless people since Sizzler’s closure in November.

A new restaurant will move into the former Sizzler site on Aerodrome Road at Maroochydore.

“Recently we had a group of homeless people set up a small tent city in the gardens out the front,” Mr Vella said.

“The relevant authorities moved them on last week.”

The Maroochydore franchise was one of nine that Sizzler owner Collins Foods Limited closed last year.

It confirmed it would close its last remaining Australian restaurants after sales were slow to recover from the Covid-19 lockdown.

Rashays has more than 30 restaurants along the east coast and the Sunshine Coast’s would be its fourth in Queensland.

It is well-known for its family meal deals – including $3 chicken nuggets – and its chicken with creamy mushroom sauce which has been on the menu since the restaurant’s launch in 1998.