Lord of the Fries store in Newtown forced to close down

Australia
By William

By Daily Mail Australia Reporter

Published: | Updated:

Popular fast food chain Lord of the Fries has been forced to close its last remaining NSW store.

A sign on the Newtown store indicated the closure and stated: ‘Please be advised that the landlord has repossessed the premises.

‘Any burglary is considered a violation and reported to local authorities.’

Lord of the Fries serves only vegan dishes, including loaded fries, veggie burgers, hot dogs and a number of side dishes and breakfast items.

Stores are still operating in South Australia, Queensland and Victoria.

Popular fast food chain Lord of the Fries has been forced to close its last remaining NSW store

Lord of the Fries only serves vegan dishes, including loaded fries, veggie burgers, hot dogs and a number of different side dishes and breakfast items

Lord of the Fries only serves vegan dishes, including loaded fries, veggie burgers, hot dogs and a number of different side dishes and breakfast items

The business has struggled since the Covid-19 pandemic, and in 2020 the very first Lord of the Fries store in Melbourne’s CBD was forced to close its doors.

In 2022, Lord of the Fries Property, a crucial leasing company for franchisees, declared bankruptcy with $2 million in debt, much of it owed to landlords.

Lord of the Fries co-founder Mark Koronczyk said the Covid lockdowns had been a difficult time for the company.

“The impact of Covid has been huge on many of our stores, as it has been across the sector,” he told The Herald Sun in 2022.

Meanwhile, Bruce Craig, the company’s franchisee in New Zealand, announced last month that he plans to sell all six stores he owns.

“We’ve had a tough few years, like everyone else, and have worked hard to keep the doors open,” Craig said.

“It’s not like it’s been a hugely profitable business, but we have a feeling it will happen soon as the tide is turning and people are coming back to their workplaces.”

The business has struggled since the Covid-19 pandemic, and in 2020 the very first Lord of the Fries store in Melbourne's CBD was forced to close its doors.

The business has struggled since the Covid-19 pandemic, and in 2020 the very first Lord of the Fries store in Melbourne’s CBD was forced to close its doors.

WHAT IS LORD OF FRIES?

Lord of the Fries is a fast food chain from Australia and New Zealand, specialized in vegan cuisine. It originated in Melbourne and has since expanded to several regions. Their menu offers exclusively vegan options, including loaded fries, veggie burgers, hot dogs, and a variety of side dishes and breakfast items.

The concept started in 2004 as a vegetarian ‘mobile chip van’, which traveled the country until the opening of their first physical store in central Melbourne in 2005. Due to the plant-based offering, all of Lord’s meals or the fries are both Kosher and Halal certified. By 2018, all their restaurants had switched to 100% vegan. The founders and most franchisees are also vegan.

In a notable move in 2018, Lord of the Fries teamed up with American producer Beyond Meat, financially backed by actor Leonardo DiCaprio and the former CEO of McDonald’s. This made them the first Australian restaurant chain to offer Beyond Meat’s plant-based burger patties.

Expansion efforts have seen the chain spread across Australia, with stores in almost every state including New South Wales, Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia, as well as multiple locations in Victoria.

Internationally, Lord of the Fries opened its first international store in Auckland, New Zealand in 2016. They have also introduced small brands sourced from their main stores, such as ‘Lord of the…’, which offers plant-based takeaway meals. home macaroni and cheese products.

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