Jellyfish Cafe shuts up shop after nearly two decades on Sydney’s northern beaches

Sydneysiders living on the northern beaches are devastated that a popular cafe has suddenly closed without notice.

A beloved cafe located along the beachfront of a popular Sydney suburb has gone bust following almost two decades of operation, leaving locals shattered.

Jellyfish Cafe in Manly, which was known for its great atmosphere, friendly service and mouth-watering food, shut its doors for good on Thursday after going into liquidation.

In a meeting on March 16, a verbal report on the company’s financial position “proved” the cafe should be “wound up” with it now in the hands of liquidators HoganSprowles.

Jellyfish Cafe is in Manly on Sydney’s northern beaches. Picture: Google Maps

Search engine Google now displays the restaurant’s trading hours as “permanently closed” while the company’s website ceases to exist online, with archive platform Wayback Machine last capturing it active on March 2, this year.

Meanwhile, the restaurant’s socials haven’t been tended to for almost a year, with the last post featuring the Manly beach shoreline with the caption “Everyday magic in Manly today. See you!!”.

The news has devastated locals and tourists who would visit the venue to enjoy its delicious take on classic seafood dishes, breakfast favourites and colourful beverages.

It also received rave reviews from the coeliac community for its safe food handling procedures, including a gluten-free preparation area to avoid contamination with other gluten-containing products.

“I loved that cafe, the best coffee! The owner and staff were so friendly. So sad to see it closed,” one local commented on a Manly Observer Facebook post highlighting the cafe’s closure.

“I’m so sorry to hear this … we supported them through Covid and I truly thought they’d make it. Such a shame,” another Sydneysider said.

A Sydney mum added: “We miss Jellyfish. It was so fab for dinner with the kids and a play on the beach after.”

The cafe was known for its good food. Picture: Instagram/@jellyfishmanly

While it’s not clear what caused the cafe to go into liquidation, locals have speculated that it’s to do with the rising cost of living, rent increases and a lack of customers during the weekdays.

“Here we go, high power prices, high cost of food, increase in wages and super, high rents – (it) was always going to close businesses and here we have that first casualty,” one person said. “I hope those owners recover as quickly as possible, if possible.”

Another added: “This is what is happening more and more in Manly as greedy landlords make having a cafe or shop in Manly unviable for local businesses. So there will only be larger chains in Manly and empty shops.”

Jellyfish Cafe is the latest small business to leave Manly after a spate of cafes, restaurants and shops closed during the pandemic.

Burger outlet BunBar, desert bar Peanut Butter Love and Japanese restaurant Tahkio were among several businesses forced to close during Covid, with many more shutting up shop in the months that followed.

Jellyfish Cafe first opened its doors in April 2004 and is situated on the North Steyne shopping strip opposite the Surf Club.

There’s been no news about what could replace the much-cherished business.

Manly is home to just over 83,000 people and over 33,000 businesses are registered in the Northern Beaches Council area according to demographic site Informed Decisions (.id).

News.com.au has contacted HoganSprowles for comment.

Originally published as Jellyfish Cafe shuts up shop after nearly two decades on Sydney’s northern beaches