Deserted landlord to order dump truck on Adriano Zumbo’s failed Fancy Nance eatery

A restaurant space that has been a commercial graveyard for three celebrity chefs is still in a sticky standoff with one of them. Now landlords are threatening to order something never seen on an Adriano Zumbo menu — a dump truck.

A restaurant space that has been a commercial graveyard for three celebrity chefs is still in a sticky standoff with one of them.

Adriano Zumbo, from TV’s Zumbo’s Just Desserts, opened his Fancy Nance eatery in South Yarra in 2016.

BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR DESSERT KING

MANU BURNT BY RESTAURANT FAILURE

It shut 10 months ago as his companies went into voluntary administration with debts of about $10 million.

The landlords want to lease the prime premises again, but the space is still decked out with the kitchen, furnishings and fittings of Fancy Nance.

Adriano Zumbo inside his Fancy Nance high tea salon in South Yarra, just before it opened. Picture: Sarah Matray

Now they are threatening to order something never seen on a Zumbo menu — a dump truck — to clear it out and clean it up ready for a new ­tenant.

Before the Daly St premises hosted Zumbo’s Alice in Wonderland-style high tea salon, it was home to restaurants owned by My Kitchen Rules chef Manu Feildel and Masterchef’s George Calombaris. Both of those ventures were also short-lived.

The Fancy Nance standoff has erupted as administrators try to sort out the cash woes of Zumbo’s companies.

Preparing desserts at Fancy Nance, South Yarra. Picture: Steve Tanner

A high tea at Zumbo’s Fancy Nance. Picture: Nicole Cleary

The Herald Sun can reveal that the husband and wife landlords allege they have not been paid rent since July last year, with the bill now sitting at $390,000 — but their premises is still being used as a glorified storage facility.

Lawyers have been called in to try and settle the matter.

Agent Steven Pantelios said he offered to pay to have the venue stripped to allow ­another business to take over.

“Our hands are tied because the liquidator wants to sell the stuff that’s in there to make some money out of it,” he said.

“But we are at the point where we can classify it as abandoned and we will pay for a truck to come and we will throw the items away.

The South Yarra venue was also home to the failed Le Grand Cirque Restaurant.

MASTERCHEF JUDGE HOSPITALISED FOR EYE INJURY

“We have reached a stalemate and we just want to move on.”

Mr Pantelios said a gym and other restaurant ­developers had expressed interest in the premises, but no contracts could be signed while Fancy Nance’s leftovers remained.

Calombaris ran Greek/Italian restaurant Mama Baba at the site, but that closed in 2014 after less than two years. Then he assisted TV rival Feildel to open the Le Grand Cirque bistro there but it shut in just four months due to low patronage.

Fancy Nance offered an ambitious 12-course degustation menu, which started with sweets and ended on savoury. But it was savaged by foodies.

Insolvency firm DW Advisory, appointed as administrator, did not respond to requests for comment and Zumbo could not be reached.

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