A popular hipster burger chain has been forced to close its doors at one of its locations.
Diners were shocked to arrive at Mary’s on Castlereagh Street, in Sydney’s CBD, to find a locked door and a scrawled cardboard sign.
“Closed 4 eva,” the sign read.
‘2014 – 2023, RIP Mary’s CBD. Thank you to each of you. Love from the CBD team and Mary’s. See you on the way, much love.
Patrons who showed up at the central Sydney outlet for hipster chain of burger bars Mary’s were greeted with a shocking closing message
Mary’s outlets are known for serving high-calorie and high-stack American-style burgers
‘See you down the road’ is a likely reference to the Mary’s burger bar still operating in Sydney’s central circular quay ferry depot.’
The burger chain is known for its signature American-style stacked burgers, melted with cheese, loaded with calories, served in a grunge bar.
Social media users were divided over the closure announced on Reddit, with some saying they were put off by the aesthetics of the venue.
“I’m getting a weird feeling from Marys,” one person wrote.
Their whole ‘punk’ aesthetic while charging $20+ for a burger, overpriced drinks and underpaid staff. It’s all just BS branding.”
“Did this have the same vibe as the one in Newtown?” another wrote.
‘Yes, I like going out for average quality, expensive cheese burgers and not being able to talk to my friends because of the loud music.
“Obviously I’m not the target audience, but hey, I do like loud heavy metal, just not when I really want to socialize.”
Another harsh review read, “Their $20 burger tasted like a McDonald’s cheese burger.”
It seems like a fall from grace for a chain that opened its first burger and liquor license in a converted church in the hip Sydney suburb of Newtown.
The chain, which offers dining in dimly lit environments with a booming soundtrack, has expanded to include outlets in Moore Park’s Entertainment District, southeast of Sydney’s CBD, and in the northwestern suburb of Castle Hill.
Owners Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham, who also own Sydney pubs Lansdowne and Unicorn, as well as jazz bar Mary’s Underground, had to apologize in 2020 for calling young hospitality workers “nagging” and “own right”.
In a previous podcast, Mr Smyth called work-life balance “one of the most dangerous terms young people have been introduced to” “one of the most dangerous terms young people have been introduced to”.
“To be clear, our employees are the reason Mary’s has become what it is. They are its strength, they are its purpose and we love them very much,” the owners told the The Sydney Morning Herald.
However, they claimed some employees agreed with their comments, but admitted others were “deeply hurt by them.”
In 2021, a union representing hospitality workers accused the Mary’s chain of wage theft and promoting a “toxic” workplace.
Hospo Voice, a branch of the United Workers Union, said this news.com.au that venues took a ‘calculated risk that they wouldn’t get caught’ by not paying staff correctly and if caught ‘penalties will be light’.
Mary’s owners Kenny Graham (pictured left) and Jake Smyth apologized for their comments about young employees
Mary’s outlets are known for their dimly lit atmosphere with booming heavy metal soundtracks
“What’s really disheartening is that stories like this about poor working conditions in the hospitality industry have been making headlines for years, and companies still feel they could be brazenly breaking the law,” said union spokesman Karma Lord.
In response, the Mary’s group issued a statement.
Commenting on unsubstantiated allegations does not seem sympathetic to the vulnerability of such sensitive subjects.
“As a company, we treat all personnel matters with the respect and privacy they deserve.
“We are not aware of any such allegations and have not filed any claims against us. Our back-of-house systems are an open book to those authorities with a legitimate claim to track them down.”
High costs and labor shortages are forcing many catering establishments to the brim.
According to figures from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, 140 hospitality and accommodation companies became insolvent nationally in April, following the 243 construction companies that went bankrupt.
Mary’s owners have been contacted for comment.