Closed businesses Melbourne: Pancake Parlour Glen Waverley, Yummys Waverley Gardens

From a much-loved family favourite in Glen Waverley to a popular Knox fast food outlet, there’s been no shortage of restaurant closures in Melbourne’s east. Check out the full list.

A host of popular restaurants across Melbourne’s east have closed in the past two years.

There’s no doubt the last two-and-a-half years have been incredibly tough for the Melbourne hospitality industry, with multiple Covid lockdowns pushing many owners to the brink.

Other restaurant owners have decided to close due to rising rents, and some fast food favourites shut as their leases expired.

Here are some of the popular restaurants that have closed their doors.

PANCAKE PARLOUR GLEN WAVERLEY

The Pancake Parlour at Glen Waverley’s Century City Walk, which operated for more than a decade, has been shut since 2021.

The future of the Kingsway favourite looks bleak, with the restaurant never reopening after Covid restrictions lifted.

It has been closed since early 2021, and when Leader visited last week, furniture was being packed up.

A sign of the door says the restaurant has been closed indefinitely due to government restrictions.

The Pancake Parlour was contacted for comment.

YUMMYS WAVERLEY GARDENS, MULGRAVE

Yummys at Waverley Gardens.

The popular Waverley Gardens Shopping Centre cafe shut its doors in 2021, after more than 30 years.

The cafe had been based at the centre since Waverley Gardens opened.

Locals say the cafe was known for decades as having the centre’s best take away food including fresh potato cakes and sandwiches.

Mr T’S BURGERS, CROYDON

Owner of Mr T's Burgers Dean Travers. Picture: Penny Stephens

Burgers lovers were dealt a blow when popular Croydon business Mr T’s Burgers and Fried Chicken closed in May.

Owner Dean Travers shut his store for good on Sunday, May 1, with the view of opening a new store closer to the city in the future.

Mr Travers had developed a cult following since opening on Hewish Rd in late 2019, and was voted by Leader readers as Maroondah’s favourite burger store in a poll last year.

He said the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and declining dine-in numbers had led him to his decision to sell up.

VIA BOFFE CAFE

Susanne Withington out the front of her now closed Via Boffe Cafe at Mornington. Picture: Ian Currie

A popular Mornington cafe was another Covid casualty, closing in June 2021, after more than 10 years of trading.

Via Boffe closed after high rent and ongoing lockdowns forced owner Susanne Withington to say goodbye.

“It was a tough decision, we tried everything to stay open,” Ms Withington said.

“But in the end there was no other option.”

HUNGRY JACKS RINGWOOD

Fans of the longstanding fast food outlet on Maroondah Highway were dealt a blow in late 2020, when Hungry Jacks closed the Ringwood restaurant after its lease expired.

Hungry Jack’s had operated at the prime corner site for decades, which was a Wendy’s restaurant in the early 80s.

But its fast food roots are a thing of the past, with Maroondah Council confirming rumours Officeworks will build a new Ringwood store.

RED ROOSTER, MALVERN EAST

A landmark fast food restaurant near Chadstone shut its doors in 2021, and has since been turned in a Guzman Y Gomez outlet.

The Red Rooster store, on the corner of Warrigal Rd and Waverley Rd and near the Monash Freeway, had operated on the site for more than 30 years.

Red Rooster spokeswoman Stella Katsaros said the restaurant had been operating since 1992 and had closed due to the end of its lease.

MCDONALDS KNOX

The Westfield Knox food court.

Macca’s fans were shattered when the fast food giant shut its store at Westfield Knox in 2020, as it approached the end of its lease.

Construction work on the redevelopment at the Wantirna South centre is well underway, with a new Aldi, Woolworths and fresh food market set to open on Level 1 by the end of the year.

But it’s not clear what will happen to the existing food court, which is home to a number of empty shops.

SUBWAY ASHBURTON

The once-popular sandwich store on Warrigal Rd has been closed for months, with ‘For Lease’ signs on the building.

MUDDINGS GLEN WAVERLEY

Muddings Bakery closed in 2022.

After many years in the area, the popular Kingsway bakery shut its doors for good in March, devastating loyal customers.

As a tribute to the owners, many locals took photos in the shop on its final day with their favourite treats, to show their love and appreciation.

COFFEE CLUB FOREST HILL

The popular cafe near Harris Scarfe and Woolies shut in late 2021, and has now been turned into a seating area.

A number of cafes have shut their doors at shopping centres in Melbourne’s east over the past year, including Muffin Break at Brandon Park, the Myer Coffee Lounge at Myer Knox and Caffe Cherry Beans at The Glen.