Company behind Mooloolaba restaurant, Frankies, enters liquidation owing $500k

A former Australia Zoo director and Irwin family member has placed his Mooloolaba restaurant into liquidation after accumulating half-a-million dollars in debt.

Frankies Mooloolaba.

A former Australia Zoo director and member of the Irwin family, Frank Muscillo, has placed his Mooloolaba restaurant into liquidation after accumulating half-a-million dollars in debt.

According to Australian Security and Investments Commission documents the company, Rocky Bellbirds Pty Ltd, entered liquidation on Thursday, September 5, appointing liquidator Daniel Moore to complete the company’s winding up.

The Australian Business Register stated the company operated the Italian restaurant, Frankies, on the Mooloolaba waterfront at 47-51 Mooloolaba Esplanade.

The ASIC documents stated the company’s director Michael Francesco Muscillo operated the business since it was first registered in 2015.

Before registering the hospitality company, Mr Muscillo, who is married to Steve Irwin’s sister Joy, acted as a director of the Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors company between 2004 and 2015.

Frank Muscillo.

It was previously reported by this publication the highly publicised departure of Mr Muscillo from the zoo was due to a falling out with Terri Irwin.

In further documents submitted to the corporate regulator on Wednesday, it was revealed initial estimates placed the company’s debt at about $500,000.

Mr Muscillo placed the company Rocky Bellbirds Pty Ltd into liquidation last week, revealing it had accumulated half-a-million dollars in debt.

The debt is spread across three creditors, the Australian Taxation Office, the Office of State Revenue and a company, CBRE, which is owed an estimated $369,050, many of which were missed monthly payments.

The ATO is owed about $137,319, according to the documents.

Mr Moore has been contacted by the publication for comment.