‘Australia has become corrupted’: Melbourne buffet Food Star announces closure in wild note
An Aussie buffet plagued by bad reviews has announced its closure in a “unhinged” note, and people are very confused.
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A longstanding buffet has announced it’s shutting its doors in a strange online note, blaming the country for being corrupted by “nihilism” and “radical liberal ideology”.
Food Star Sunshine, self-described as the oldest surviving family restaurant in Sunshine, in Melbourne’s west – announced its closure in a statement on Monday, after 25 years in business.
The restaurant, which offers a mix of Western and Asian meals, was vague in its reasoning, accusing Australians of “rejecting the past”, while also noting instances of staff abuse.
Online reviews paint quite a vivid picture of the divisive business, with customers complaining of poor hygiene and food quality at the of the 3.2 Google reviewed restaurant.
“Australia has become corrupted by a corrosive mix of nihilism and embraced a radical liberal ideology that celebrates the rejection of anything from the past that could stabilize (sic) society including any inheritance of previous forms of culture,” the bold statement posted on the restaurant’s website reads.
“You just have to look at the abuse thrown towards our staff in the past few years to realize (sic) this, what is old is no longer deemed necessary and indeed something that must be replaced. We had no choice but to close.”
The statement was shared on social media, where many were quick to ridicule the restaurant’s “unhinged” explanation.
“Everyone is responsible for the failure of my business except me!” one person quipped on Reddit.
“They’re claiming “radical libs” caused their closure? Lmao okay bye,” said another.
“Look buddy, stop spreading your radical liberal ideology. That’s not a cockroach in the cheesecake; it’s just a little bit of nihilism,” another jested.
“Given the years of bad reviews, Im surprised the even lasted as long as they did (sic),” another comment read.
Owner defends bad reviews
The closure comes after the 3.2 star restaurant received a slew of negative Google reviews, many of which slam the business’ alleged poor hygiene and subpar meals.
“Not a lot of food options, barely any food in the containers anyway, food is not that good. Sanitary is so bad I saw a plate with green spots which is probably soap. Waitress is nice though,” one review posted just two weeks ago reads.
Hitting back, the owner defended the food selection given the price of meals and rent.
“The only buffets left in Australia with nice food options are all located in gambling venues such as casinos, RSL clubs and Hotels with a gaming license,” they wrote.
“They don’t have to pay any rent because they are there to attract and induce customers to lose their life savings gambling at the pokie machines stationed next to the buffets. Other options like KBBQ buffets are all above our price range and start at $50+ to $90.
“I say this because if you were hungry, you would have paid $25-35 dollars today and got fed.”
Another customer who visited the customer last year, described their experience as “overwhelmingly disappointing” and slammed the “tasteless” and “abysmal” food quality.
“Not only was the food lacking in flavour, but it also seemed to be of the lowest possible quality, reminiscent of cafeteria fare from decades past,” they wrote.
“To add insult to injury, the state of the bathroom facilities was utterly appalling. The cleanliness left much to be desired, with unidentifiable stains and unpleasant odours pervading the atmosphere.
“In all my years of dining out, I have never encountered a buffet as subpar as Food Star. Save yourself the disappointment and avoid this establishment at all costs.”
The owner was direct in their response: “We don’t cook for people with refined palates. That is not our main customer base, we are the go to destination for people with a more primal instinct of getting a full stomach after a game of rugby rather than some sort of sensory experience”.
The owner noted they intentionally respond to reviews to “discourage people from attending our premise with any such expectation as we don’t want to waste your time and ours”.
Addressing issues of cleanliness, the owner said the bathroom is part of the wider shopping centre complex and not part of the business’ tenancy agreement.
Other Google reviews were more positive, noting the food was “cheap and delicious”, with the buffet offering a “decent variety”.
An adult all-you-can-eat meal cost $36.90, while a child was just $3.
“Most dishes were hits. Basically if you just want to enjoy everything you could buy at a food court all in one place. This is the one. The soft serve machine always works (unlike macas). It’s a time machine and an institution. I will be so sad if this place ever changes,” one person wrote.
“Very very nice. I had come here five years. My friends and family all love here (sic),” said another.
Foods Star restaurants close
It comes after another Food Star buffet in Melbourne’s outer east suburb of Knox City shut down in 2017 after it was finned $85,000 for food safety breaches.
Food Star Knox City Holding Pty Ltd was fined $60,000 for several breaches of the Food Act including failing to ensure staff washed their hands after coughing or sneezing.
The year prior, director Xi Kai Liu was found guilty of dozens of breaches and fined $25,000.
Food Star’s other Melbourne’s buffets in Reservoir and Frankston have also shut up shop, the latter of which closed in 2023 after 23 years of service.
“We want to express our profound gratitude for your unwavering support over the years. Your patronage has been the backbone of our success and the source of countless cherished memories,” the restaurant wrote in a statement on Facebook at the time.
“Though our restaurant’s doors may close, the bonds we’ve formed with you, our valued customers, will always remain. We hope to cross paths again someway, and until then, we wish you health, happiness, and the very best in all your endeavours.”
Food Star Sunshine declined to comment when contacted by news.com.au
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