Lentil As Anything: Famous not-for-profit Melbourne restaurant facing closure after 21 years

A cult Melbourne restaurant chain which has dished out free meals to the needy for more than two decades is now at risk of closing.

Lentil as Anything chef Puthaya Parameshawaran and founder Shanaka Fernando at the restaurant's Abbotsford Convent site. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

A not-for-profit Melbourne restaurant chain which has fed hundreds of thousands of needy people for more than two decades is facing its own plight to avoid closure by the end of the month.

Lentil As Anything has launched a desperate bid to raise $400,000 to keep its Abbotsford, St Kilda and Brunswick restaurants open.

It is the second time the chain has turned to crowd-funding during the pandemic to stay afloat, after it was saved through a GoFundMe campaign in October 2020.

Founder Shanaka Fernando, a former Australian of the Year, opened Lentils’ first restaurant in 2000 to offer pay-what-you-feel, vegan-friendly meals to refugees, backpackers, the homeless and struggling uni students.

But Mr Fernando said its usual customer base, who often paid their way, had disappeared due to the impact of Covid-19 restrictions.

Lentils as Anything founder Shanaka Fernando is trying to raise $400,000 in two weeks to save his restaurants. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

“It has been a real loss to us not having the generous donors who come and eat and donate and subsidise the people who can’t afford to pay,” he said.

“We’re in an unofficial lockdown now and the bills dramatically mount, we still have the pressure of rent, wages, bank loans, and no government support from JobKeeper.”

Pre-Covid, the restaurant served about 1500 people at its Abbotsford restaurant alone.

The chain has donated 100,000 meals to those in need since the pandemic began, despite its typical weekly revenue being slashed by 94 per cent.

Mr Fernando said he had less than $2000 in savings and assets left due to the situation.

He said closing the restaurants would break his heart not only because of their longevity and services, but it would leave about 25 staff out of a job.

“There are a lot of people who rely on employment at Lentils who don’t get opportunities elsewhere,” Mr Fernando said.

“For the second time in 21 years we can’t just rely on the donation box.

“It’s been pretty hard for us to reach out to the community this time around, we know how hard people are doing it, yet Lentils is a unique story which is worth preserving.”

To donate, visit https://bit.ly/33fzZr1