Restaurant chain collapses in Australia – leaving its future uncertain

High-end steakhouse Botswana Butchery has come under voluntary administration in Australia.

The restaurant chain first found success in New Zealand before expanding to Sydney and Melbourne in 2022.

However, the future of Botswana Butchery in Australia is now uncertain following the appointment of BDO as voluntary administrator by its owner, Good Group Australia, on March 31.

Despite this, all three restaurants, including the Canberra branch, which opened just two months ago, remain open while administrators assess the situation.

“The administrators are carrying out an urgent review of the businesses and, if possible, intend to continue trading with a view to facilitating a restructuring or initiating a sale process,” the BDO statement said.

“The administrators will continue to work closely with the directors, management, staff and creditors of Good Group Australia.”

Good Group’s New Zealand operations are unaffected.

The Sydney venue, Martin Place, can accommodate 300 guests across three floors and has more than 900 standing spaces.

In 2022, a review by Terry Durack in the Sydney Morning Herald awarded the restaurant a score of 13 out of 20.

“Botswana is the kind of bustling, conventional steakhouse designed for the kind of business lunch or dinner that used to happen when the CBD had a lot of businesses serving lunch or dinner. At this stage the steak is there, but we’ll have to wait a little longer for the sizzle,” Durack wrote.

The Melbourne branch was rated 14 out of 20 by The Age critic Besha Rodell.

She wrote: ‘Is the food good? Does the operation run like a well-oiled machine, with headphone microphones on the black-clad staff? Is the wine list broad, varied and sometimes even affordable? Yes Yes Yes.’