A seething restaurant owner has left a sad message for his loyal customers, claiming he was forced to close because of a ‘selfish’ landlord.
Marco Adoncello, owner and chef of trendy Italian eatery Contessa Balmain in Sydney’s west, left a note in the venue’s window on Monday morning.
“Due to physical and mental health reasons, Marco is no longer able to keep the doors of Contessa Balmain open,” the sign read.
‘Every effort was made to keep the legacy alive, but unfortunately the selfish actions of the landlord have dashed any hopes for it.’
Mr. Adoncello, who took over the restaurant 10 years ago, apologized to his loyal customer base for the “very difficult decision.”
Marco Adoncello, owner and chef of trendy Italian eatery Contessa Balmain in Sydney’s west (pictured), left a note in the venue’s window
Gutted locals in the affluent part of the city took to social media to express their sadness over the restaurant’s demise.
“Contessa served the best omelettes in the country, we are regulars at Marco and his beautiful cafe,” wrote one sad customer.
“Sending love and thanks to Marco and the entire Contessa family for being such a big part of the community.”
Another said: ‘Gut-wrenching. Marco welcomed us to Balmain when we moved there by offering us orange cake. Went there religiously.’
Others expressed disappointment at the difficult market conditions faced by restaurants and cafes.
“If Contessa can’t survive, who can?” someone wondered news.com.au.
Another said: ‘If they can’t make it work, good luck finding someone else to take over the lease. Landlord has really done a disservice.’
However, it appears the restaurant owners now regret putting the sign in the window after being contacted by Daily Mail Australia.
Rose Adoncello, Marco’s wife, said they are still hoping things will work out with further negotiations.
However, it appears the restaurant owners regret putting the sign in the window after being contacted by Daily Mail Australia. Rose Adoncello, Marco’s wife, said they were currently in discussions with the landlord and the sign had been replaced (the couple is pictured together)
The possible closure of the much-loved restaurant comes at a time when hundreds of family-run venues, cafes and shops across Australia are going to the wall as the cost of living increases.
Australian businesses are going bankrupt in increasing numbers under the combined weight of rising employee wages, the rising cost of supplies and interest rate hikes that are cutting back on customer spending.
For example, Australians’ spending on restaurants and takeaways in the first week of August fell 16 percent over the past year, according to ANZ data.
The figures also showed that spending on restaurants and takeaways fell below pre-pandemic levels in 2019.