Staff at a well-known Auckland eatery are looking for work with the news it’s closing its doors after more than 30 years in operation.
In the latest hit to New Zealand’s hospitality industry, Vivace Restaurant and Bar has announced it’s been placed into liquidation.
The business, located in Downtown Auckland’s Fort Street, describes itself as “one of the best inner city restaurants Auckland has to offer”.
In a lengthy statement posted online yesterday, December 26, the restaurant says it’s been impacted by multiple Covid lockdowns and the economic recession.
“It is with much sadness that after 33 years we must tell you that Vivace will not reopen in the new year.
“The ongoing effects of the past four years have had a huge impact on the business with the multiple lockdowns, our big flood last year, and now this past year of recession all affecting us.
“We wish you to know we were left with no option but to close and this is devastating for us and our amazing team.”
The restaurant thanks its current and past staff, suppliers, and loyal customers for their “unwavering love and support particularly during the last few awful years”.
“So many of you have become friends. It is a huge sense of pride to us that over this past year we have had three staff members working who are the children of Vivace staff from when we opened in 1992.
“Others currently employed are the children of our customers from over the years.
“We have watched customers who first dined with us as babies now bring their own children in to celebrate the same occasions their families have always shared with us.
“Vivace really is a family so this is heartbreaking.
“We now need to help find jobs for our wonderful team so if any of you know of workplaces that treat their staff like family and might want to inherit some loyal, hardworking, lovely, talented people with a great work ethic, please do let us know.
“We hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that you enjoy the New Year period and thank you all again. We will miss you.”
As the Times has reported this year, the country’s hospitality sector has been doing it tough for some time.
The iconic local eatery Fisher House was placed into liquidation on August 1 with Corporate Recovery and Insolvency (Auckland) Limited appointed the Highbrook business’s liquidator by shareholder special resolution.
Numerous restaurants and eateries have closed their doors this year as the situation is labelled a “crisis” by industry leaders.
Among the more well-known ones that have closed so far this year in Auckland are Fisher House, Conch Kitchen and Bar, and Chapel Bar and Bistro.
