Pause Restaurant Samford to close following tough Covid battle

An award-winning European restaurant north of Brisbane will close its doors for the last time tonight as staffing struggles become too much.

A popular restaurant north of Brisbane will close its doors for the final time tonight.

Pause restaurant, managed by Luca Marra, announced the closure via email after more than five years as one of the area’s finest venues.

Pause Restaurant located in Samford. Source: Facebook

“Alas. I’ll keep this short because we are all very sad. We must announce that Pause is closing its doors for good,” the email read.

“It's been an amazing journey for all of us, yet our current environment leaves us no choice but to call it quits.”

Pause restaurant, Samford in 2020.

The Samford restaurant had been struggling with staffing numbers since the beginning of COVID-19 when lockdowns restrictions were in place.

“The last two years of Covid, the loss of skilled migrant workers, the mandates, the floods … and consequentially the impossible staffing challenges arising from all this mess sees us (and the entire industry) simply unable to recruit skilled, capable, reliable team members.”

The Italian venue was awarded best European restaurant in South East Queensland last year by Restaurant & Catering Australia.

Pause Manager, Luca Marra. Source: Facebook

Pause’s final hurrah will be this evening, with its farewell dinner booked out well over a week in advance.

Mr Marra said the last sitting for the restaurant would be tonight, but the Pause Express pizza van would continue to operate into its final days over the Easter weekend.

It is understood the venue will go up for lease after Pause’s closure.