Sydney restaurant Bel & Brio closes doors after owing $1.8m in rent

A popular Sydney restaurant and food market has been shut down after its landlord locked its doors without the staff’s knowledge.

Italian venue, Bel & Brio was one of the first venues to open in the city’s waterfront Barangaroo district in 2016. The establishment featured a large restaurant on the Barangaroo Corso, as well as a cellar, bar, fine food marketplace, cafe and private dining options.

The restaurant’s owner, Mark Richerdson said he was “blindsided” by the snap closure, despite the restaurant owing Lendlease $1.8m over the past two years.

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A post from social media showed that the doors to the restuarant have been shuttered since October 29.

A sign on the locked door read: “To whom it may concern: Please note that the Landlord is in control of the Premises.”

Mr Richerdson said the establishment had been greatly affected by Covid-19 lockdowns, and the diminished foot traffic in the CBD. As it stands, bookings have been suspended until January 2, however customers can still make purchases on Bel & Brio’s online site.

It’s understood that the business did receive extensive support from Lendlease throughout the pandemic.

“We’ve been in negotiations and mediations … to get the fee to something reasonable, however Lendlease had enough and pulled the plug and so they should have,” he told The Daily Telegraph.

The closure leaves its 140 workers in the lurch, who claim they haven’t been paid for weeks.

In a comment to The Daily Telegraph, Mr Richerdson said he hopes someone will “take over the venue and rehire the staff”. Efforts will also be made to relocate them.

Despite this, his sympathies appeared limited.

“It is a shame for staff but I’ve lost the most. I’ve lost 8 years and $11 million,” he said.

Prior to opening Bel & Brio, Mr Richerdson founded the now-defunct boutique supermarket chain Marx Grocer in 2012. He’s also held senior roles at convenience store chains, EzyMart and City Convenience.

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In a statement to news.com.au, a spokesperson for Lendlease said that: “While we can’t discuss the details of individual rental agreements, we value each retailer and they are always welcome to discuss their arrangements with us.”

News.com.au has reached out to Mr Richerdson for comment.

Have you been impacted? Get in touch at Jessica.wang@news.com.au

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