A restaurant once dubbed "Ballarat's best burger joint" is the latest hospitality venture to face trouble in a series of blows to the city's restaurant scene, but has promised a return.
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Griffin Burger is being sold after a turbulent few months, including going through liquidation and demands for rent from a shopping centre.
On Tuesday, April 23, a 'Notice of Re-Entry' was taped to the front window of Griffin Burger's Stockland Wendouree store, stating the shopping centre's management had reclaimed the shopfront after a failure to meet rental obligations.
The documents stated Griffin Burger, and its owners Sam, Peter and Ryan Griffin, owed the shopping centre $25,206.14 in unpaid rent, and as such did not meet their lease agreement, prompting a re-entry from the owners.
Stockland also alleged Griffin Burger failed to keep the business open during its registered opening hours.
"Griffin Burger failed, refused neglected to comply with the Default Notice and remedy the breaches of the Lease specified in the Default Notice, which includes paying monies in accordance with the Lease in the sum of $25,206.14 (inclusive of GST) as particularised in the Default Notice," the document stated.
On Wednesday, April 24, a new note was left on the store regarding the removal of goods from the premises.
Griffin Burger was well-known in Ballarat for their active presence on social media, developing a cult following among Ballarat's burger-lovers.
Beginning in 2015, Peter Griffin and his sons opened the first Griffin Burger restaurant in the Ballarat CBD, before expanding to Stockland and Delacombe Town Centre.
The restaurant was voted as "Ballarat's best burger" in a 2018 poll run by The Courier.
Owner Sam Griffin said the Griffin Burger business, which includes its stores in Wendouree and DTC, was in the final stages of being sold to a new owner.
He hopes to have the sale finalised by the end of the week and for Griffin Burger to be back up and running in the immediate future.
"For now I am just looking forward to the sale, the new owner taking over and returning to the way they were," Sam said.
"Nothing will change. Rest assured Griffin Burger will be back."
Sam said he was not looking to return to the hospitality industry, at least for the foreseeable future.
"It was a long eight years looking at burgers. I am over it," Sam said.
"I am not too sure what I am going to do. Just take it as it comes I guess, figure something out."
It is understood Stockland Wendouree are actively leasing the site, and looking for potential tenants.
According to ASIC, Griffin Burger entered liquidation in October 2023, which ceased on February 1.
Liquidator Nicholas Giasoumi from Dye and Co was appointed to oversee the voluntary administration of the business.
Creditors were owed a total of $589,174, with an amount of remuneration fixed to be $32,593.
Sam said this was due to a restructure of the company, off the back of the sale of their Dr Fill business in Wendouree to Wild Seed Cafe.
Elsewhere, prominent Ballarat pizzeria The Forge entered voluntary administration in March, citing debts accrued over the COVID pandemic.
Another well-known Ballarat restaurant, Moon and Mountain was closed in late 2023, with Cattleya Thai to take over the Mair Street site.
