Restaurant Orana closes its doors

Adelaide’s award-winning fine dining restaurant Orana is the latest casualty of the coronavirus.

Helmed by chef Jock Zonfrillo, the three-hatted restaurant, ranked as Australia’s best restaurant by both Gourmet Traveller and Good Food, held its last service on Saturday night.

“Social distancing is proving the key to breaking the back of COVID19, filling our restaurants will only assist in spreading it further amongst our families and communities inevitably extending the pain for an excruciating period of time. Stopping the spread of COVID-19, and paying wages and suppliers in the meantime, are the only way to the other side of this,” Zonfrillo posted on Restaurant Orana’s Facebook page.

“For us I’m afraid, like many...it’s closing time.

“We are sending our team on paid annual leave after service tonight, this will inevitably move into unpaid leave. We will however continue to pay our team until the bank account is drained or we can reopen our doors.

“Restaurant Orana really has been the little restaurant that could. Other than my three children, Restaurant Orana opening, surviving and thriving is without question what I am most proud of in my life. I know we have had impact on Indigenous communities, and whether I have a restaurant at the end of this or not who knows.”

Acknowledging the devastation the nationwide shut down was having on some businesses, Zonfrillo said he was “deeply touched by the support Australians are showing the hospitality industry.

“I hope someone hears the hospitality industries call to arms and weighs in,” he said.

“If ever we needed it It’s now.”

The news follows McLaren Vale’s d’Arenberg Cube Restaurant announcing it would hold its final service on April 2.

Sheridan Randall, 23^rd March 2020