A hospitality conglomerate overseeing well-known New Zealand-originated eateries, Botswana Butchery and White + Wong’s, is shuttering its Australian branches. Good Group Australia, responsible for these renowned restaurants, has initiated voluntary administration as of March 31, impacting Botswana Butchery outlets and three Asian dining establishments across Australia. However, this development does not affect Good Group’s operations in New Zealand.
Originating in Queenstown in 2007, the upscale Botswana Butchery chain expanded to Auckland and ventured into the Australian market in 2022 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic’s peak. While three Botswana Butchery locations, including one in Canberra inaugurated just two months ago, will continue operations during an evaluation of their viability, outlets in Sydney and Melbourne will cease trading. Additionally, White + Wong’s establishments in central Sydney and Melbourne’s Chadstone, along with Wong Baby in Melbourne, have also ceased operations.
Administrators Andrew Sallway and Duncan Clubb from insolvency firm BDO Australia have initiated an urgent assessment of the companies. White + Wong’s Sydney ceased operations upon their appointment, while the Chadstone and Wong Baby locations halted trading prior to their arrival. The administrators are exploring restructuring options or a potential sale of the businesses.
In Australia, the chain notably offered a lavish 1.6-kilogram wagyu tomahawk adorned with gold leaf, priced at NZD$546 per person for a minimum of four diners. Preceding its expansion across the Tasman, Good Group Hospitality had to lay off half of its workforce of over 300 employees amidst the pandemic. Former employees expressed dismay at the decision, feeling abandoned midway through the 12-week wage subsidy period in 2020. However, Good Group cited pandemic-induced business setbacks and retained as many employees as possible given the circumstances.
