The fate of George Calombaris’ culinary empire remains unclear, as his MAdE Establishment group faces a likely decline into voluntary administration on Monday afternoon.
Various media outlets have reported that the celebrity chef is in crisis talks to decide whether his hospitality powerhouse can be saved.
The decision is expected to affect about 500 staff and 18 restaurants, including fast-food chain Jimmy Grants, frozen yoghurt chain Yo-Chi and Melbourne restaurant Gazi.
Administrators may be forced to sell underperforming restaurants.
On Monday, Victorian Jobs Minister Martin Pakula said that employees should be at the forefront of discussions.
“My thoughts and concerns would be for all of the employees of his company,” he told reporters.
“In that regard, I would hope that any conversations that are had with bankers and administrators are such that those people are able to keep their jobs.”
This follows a slew of negative press that saw Calombaris’ departure from Channel 10 amid the 2019 wage-theft scandal.
The former Masterchef judge apologised last year after a Fair Work investigation revealed MAdE Establishment had underpaid staff by $7.8 million in wages and superannuation in 2017.
In a statement to ABC’s 7:30 program at the time, Calombaris denied that his restaurants would close.
“We aren’t closing our restaurants, we’re here. And it’s my job as their leader to keep pushing forward and keep speaking this message, not shying away from the mistake we made, but also acknowledging that we fixed it.”
Over 500 former and current employees have now been repaid, with Calombaris being ordered to pay an additional $200,000 “contrition payment”.
Some of his most popular Melbourne-based restaurants have since undergone extensive rebranding, including the Hellenic Republic in Brunswick and The Press Club in Melbourne’s CBD. Calombaris has stepped back as figurehead while the restaurants have been re-opened as Crofter Dining and Elektra Dining, respectively.
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