Downtown Brooklyn to close as Penrith burger restaurant makes shock announcement

  • Burger restaurant closes its doors
  • Owners released a statement on Sunday

A burger restaurant has announced it will close after eight years.

Downtown Brooklyn in Penrith, in Sydney’s west, announced on Sunday that no trading will take place from December 22.

“To our wonderful burger lovers, thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” the owners said in a statement.

“Your support has meant the world to us, and you have been the reason we have kept going even through the toughest of times.

‘To us you are more than a customer; you are part of our DB family. Your smile, laughter and loyalty have carried us through the years.

“You’ve celebrated milestones with us, supported us through the ups and downs, and made this little burger joint so much more than just a business.

“We are forever grateful for the love you showed us and the memories we shared together.”

Downtown Brooklyn first opened in 2016 as Big Poppa’s Burger Bar and quickly became a High Street favorite among locals.

A burger restaurant has announced it will close after eight years

It is the second burger restaurant to announce its closure in less than a month after Wing Fix revealed it had closed its Brisbane locations in November.

Wing Fix active in Coorparoo and Newmarket.

Owners Peter and Ross Jacobi said they were left reeling from the forced closure.

“You probably couldn’t write a worse run for the hospitality industry in particular, but for small businesses or even for businesses in general,” Peter Jacobi told the Courier Mail.

“It’s been very tough over the last five years, but especially over the last two years, since the successive interest rate increases, something that the hospitality industry or small businesses haven’t really had to go through.”

Mr Jacobi said rising operational costs led to the collapse of the popular eatery. The siblings started the restaurant seven years ago from a market stall.

Mr Jacobi revealed that the cost of staples such as fresh produce and dairy products has increased by as much as 15 to 25 percent.

“When you combine that with a decline in sales and already good margins… it has to become more expensive to become more viable for the company,” he said.