Administrators SV Partners run campaign to sell dessert bar chain Cowch

There had been strong interest from potential buyers for the popular Brisbane dessert bar Cowch, which fell into administration last month.

Owner Arif Memis with some of Cowch’s desserts. Picture Glenn Hampson

Brisbane’s sweet tooths will be heartened to hear there is strong interest from potential buyers of popular dessert bar chain Cowch.

SV Partners say they are in the middle of a six-week expressions of interest campaign for the business founded almost a decade ago by former Sydney banker Arif Memis and his wife Havva. “Correspondence has been received from a number of interested parties,” SV Partners tells your diarist. “Any further interested parties are encouraged to urgently get in touch us.”

Cowch appointed administrators last month after the company struggled through a perfect storm of rising interest rates, soaring costs and natural disasters.

SV Partners is keeping the doors of the business open while new investors are sought. And we hear there are high hopes a white knight will step forward for the chain that has outlets at Chermside, Broadbeach, South Bank and Garden City.

Cowch had until recently been in expansion mode and last year produced more than 34,000 litres of gelato, 73,000 pancakes, 63,000 crepes, 48,000 waffles and more than 6000 cakes from a new factory in Brisbane’s southside. Memis (illustrated) tells City Beat that the business has “been his baby” from the start and he hoped to stay involved in some way once a buyer was found. “People have had marriage proposals, baby showers and birthdays in our restaurants,” Memis says. “We have created great memories. There are a lot of opportunities for the business. When I moved up from Sydney I knew that Queensland was always going to be the test market. I knew that Queensland was one of the healthiest states - we get up early and we go to bed earlier. We are going to make the stores profitable again, grow the business and then move south.” He says hundreds of parents and their offspring flocked to Cowch over the Easter holidays to take part in activities including chocolate egg making classes, which culminated in the kids eating their creations.

Owner Arif Memis with some of Cowch’s desserts. Picture Glenn Hampson

Chicken run

Chicken chain Lenard’s has opened its first new franchise store in six years as part of a renewed focus on national expansion by founder Lenard Poulter. The company, established in Brisbane in 1987, is planning to launch an extensive franchise recruitment campaign this year with industry leaders Eden Exchange. Poulter says that after 35 years in business, the chain has launched new look stores as well as a rotisserie section.  “Our product offering has expanded from our much-loved ready-to-cook range, to rotisserie chickens, ready-to-heat meals and salads,” says Poulter. “We are ready to find the perfect partners to join us and share the love.” The new Lenard’s store, located in Dubbo, is the first franchise in the region in nine years and has been opened by local Lachlan Harris who worked at Lenard’s for seven years as a teenager. Lenard’s can be found at 23 locally-owned franchise stores and over 400 independent supermarkets around Australia.

Lenard Poulter

Top of the town

Brisbane architectural firm Blight Rayner are holding a shindig next month to celebrate the opening of their new office at 345 Queens St. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner will be in attendance at the opening on May 25 that will feature a performance by Queensland Youth Orchestra artist in residence Nina Korbe accompanied by musicians from the QYO Big Band. Blight Rayner was founded in 2016 by Jayson Blight and Michael Rayner, both former directors of Sydney-based Philip Cox and Partners. They have been behind some iconic projects over the past 40 years including the Helix Pedestrian Bridge in Singapore and the National Maritime Museum of China.

Helix Bridge, Singapore