Melbourne’s Pearl Chablis and Oyster Bar closes for good

Unprofessional staff with zero work ethic are partly to blame for the snap closure two popular Melbourne restaurants, according to its owner.

A trendy city seafood restaurant has called it quits, with ‘unprofessional’ staff with zero work ethic blamed as one of the reasons behind the closure.

Pearl Chablis and Oyster Bar will hold its final service on July 19 after a three year stint in the CBD. It’ll join sister venue Pinchy’s, which is also set to close the same weekend.
Owner Jeremy Schinck said many things influenced his call to close both venues — including growing debt, low city patronage and the cost of living crisis — but like most in the hospitality industry, he’s found it hard to “bounce back” after the pandemic.

“The industry is still dealing with the residual mess of Covid. Nothing has bounced back, we’re not getting the Monday to Friday crowds in the office,” he said.

“At Pinchy’s, we have been hanging in there for last two years and have had to work twice as hard to earn half as much.”

“We’re never going to trade out of the debt we are in. The margins are that small and we’re not making up for the winter losses in summer... I’m just so deflated by it all.”

Schinck said finding quality staff in hospitality had also become challenging post-Covid.

“I feel like the level of professionalism and the number of employees to choose from wasn’t wide,” he said.

Pinchy's Lobster & Champagne Bar is also closing the weekend of July 20.

“People don’t really talk about it because there’s not much that can be done, and it steers attention away from what’s the bigger problem.”

The hospitality pro, whose worked in the industry for about 30 years, said as a result restaurants were being forced to hire from a mediocre and shrinking talent pool of chefs and front of house staff.

“It’s not wage costs, but the constant turnover of staff. They are paid entry-level corporate salaries but some are behaving like teenagers,” he said.

“They aren’t coming on board and thinking — let’s stay here for five to ten years. They are chopping and changing and this reflects in the business... and over time that ruins the (restaurants) reputation.”

Schinck said poor work ethic from the next-gen of hospitality workers was another problem.

“Work ethic after Covid has deteriorated. When you have inconsistencies and (restaurants) opening and closing, (new staff) aren’t determined to do well in this job. They think, “oh this restaurants going to close anyway” or “I don’t give a damn because I’m studying”.

Jeremy and Samara Schinck. Picture: Carly Ravenhall.

He’s suggested hospitality adopt a tertiary qualification requirement, like they do in some European countries, so new workers will take the gig seriously.

“I feel like if there were a mandatory tertiary, or upper level education, requirement to work in the industry, people may start taking the job more professionally,” he said.

Pearl Chablis and Oyster Bar’s final service will be on July 19.

The intimate 28-seater restaurant was best known for pairing Burgundy famous white wine Chablis with high-end seafood degustations.

Schinck is hoping to re-open Pearl in a new location in the future.