Sydney Japanese and gaming themed restaurant to shut down permanently

A popular Sydney gaming restaurant has announced it is shutting down permanently.

A popular Sydney gaming restaurant has announced it is shutting down permanently.

ESC, located in Chatswood in Sydney’s north shore, announced on its website that its last day in business will be the end of this month, March 29.

“Dear valued customers,” the announcement reads.

“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the permanent closure of ESC from March 29th. Thank you for being part of the journey.”

The Japanese bar and restaurant offered private gaming rooms with PS5s and Nintendo switches.

It offers 25 games on the PS5 and 32 on the Nintendo including Super Smash Bros and Mario Kart. .

ESC had a slogan of “Eat, Play, Chill”.

The restaurant’s concept was a gaming den combined with Japanese cuisine.

The business had nearly 9000 followers on social media.

It appears that ESC had been in business for less than two years, having launched at the end of 2022.

Its popular menu items included a deluxe sashimi platter, wagyu skewers and a cheesy mashed potato volcano.

When the restaurant first opened, it generated rave reviews.

Food reviewer and influencer The Food Inbox said in 2023: “The food is definitely not what we were expecting – it was pretty fancy! You can order as you go on the iPad, and they’ll deliver it to your room – no need to interrupt your gaming“.

Blogger Sydney Food Boy described ESC as “seriously fantastic” and added “You would be forgiven to think these dishes came out of some upscale dining spot, not the kitchen of a ‘gaming restaurant’”.

The company’s business number has been active since 2014.

News.com.au has contacted the restaurant for comment. It’s unclear what this will mean for staff.

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What a standard gaming room looks like.

ESC made a splash on Sydney’s food scene.

The news follows the recent collapse of a popular Oporto in Sydney’s Newtown, with the ATO forcing that business to either pay half a million in back taxes or shut its doors.

Earlier this week, news.com.au reported that popular Sydney pizza chain, Bondi Pizza, was on the brink of collapse.

In another sign of the dire situation facing many hospitality businesses during a cost of living crisis, a beloved Sydney cafe also shut its doors recently, with its owner describing the hospitality industry as “a bit broken”.

Last month, news.com.au reported that popular Sydney nightclub called The Carter had gone into liquidation.

The hospitality sector is one the hardest hit industries in the current economic downturn, alongside the construction sector, which both run on extremely thin margins, making these types of businesses usually the first casualties in a high inflationary environment.

Late last year, arm of major Victorian catering business, Legacy Hospitality Group, went bust in October with debts in excess of $1.7 million.

National restaurant chain Sushi Bay also collapsed in 2023, with its last remaining Sydney, Darwin and Canberra branches ordered to shut down, amid allegations that workers had been underpaid $650,000 over a number of years.

In June, controversial restaurant chain Karen’s Diner went into liquidation with $4.3 million worth of debt.

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Originally published as Sydney Japanese and gaming themed restaurant to shut down permanently