By 3 News online staff
Award-winning chef Martin Bosley has been forced to close his restaurant on Wellington's waterfront, citing losing his lease, cancelled bookings and tough financial times.
Martin Bosley's, which has been open for 13 years, on Oriental Parade inside the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club has been put into voluntary liquidation, Fairfax Media is reporting.
Mr Bosley labelled the decision to close "the worst day of my life".
"Having to tell the staff that you'll no longer be here, it's devastating. It's not a position we ever thought we'd be in. We feel like we've been part of the family in this town for a long time. I'm terribly disheartened that this is how it's ended."
The restaurant's 15 staff were told yesterday and Mr Bosley spent the day calling creditors and customers to cancel bookings.
A strategic adviser was brought in two years ago to help the business with cost-cutting and to help repay debts.
Mr Bosley began trying to find other revenue streams and to make the dining experience more casual including launching a range of sauces and $30 fish and chip Sundays, with limited success.
The yacht club advertised for the lease on the site in December, but Mr Bosley decided not to reapply after finding out the club had put in its own proposal.
The lease also created a large amount of uncertainty among customers who had cancelled wedding bookings, while others didn't want to book because the restaurant might not exist anymore.
Mr Bosley is not sure what his next move will be.
3 News
source: newshub archive
