Onzieme to shut as Canberra’s dining scene struggles
Aggressive poaching and light rail construction are also affecting Bar Rochford, Paranormal Wines and Pilot. “It looks like death by a thousand cuts.”
gareth meyer
One of Canberra’s leading restaurants will serve its last meal on May 30 after owner Louis Couttoupes made the surprise decision to close onzieme. Although the five-year-old Kingston brasserie and 2025 Sydney Morning Herald The Restaurant of the Year nominee was serving some of the best food, and Couttoupes says staff turnover made the decision inevitable.
“Aggressive poaching in the industry has compounded the persistent challenges of finding and retaining skilled staff,” Couttoupes said.
“We’re getting newly trained chefs who can’t make mayonnaise or fillet fish, which means I’m often carrying more of the load, including making an effort to train staff, but I’m losing them to big-city players who can pay 30 to 40 percent above market rates.”
Onzieme, which Couttoupes opened in October 2021, quickly garnered awards with its adventurous and eclectic dishes and enthusiastic self-confidence on the field. The venue had also helped Canberra get noticed after a successful pop-up called Kiosk. Bar Rochford Gain national attention.
But Couttoupes is not the only operator feeling the tension in the capital. “This is the toughest situation in hospitality in decades,” he says Bar Rochford owner Nick Smith.
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Like most accommodation venues in Australia, Canberra operators are facing a perfect storm of challenges including weakening household budgets, staff shortages, lower alcohol consumption among younger customers and skyrocketing product prices.
This is even more difficult for businesses in a thinly populated city like Canberra; Many people struggle to fill their dining rooms on weekdays. Last week Good Food reported that more than 60 high-profile companies have been Restaurants, bars and cafes in NSW We closed.
These statistics add to the findings of the 2026 CreditorWatch report: More than one in 10 restaurants and cafes collapsed last year, meaning Australia’s hospitality sector has the highest failure rate of any industry.
Max Walker with one hat Paranormal Wines It’s also particularly difficult to be independent, says Campbell in Canberra. He agrees with Couttoupes and says the big players – due to their scale and generous incentives to open in Canberra – are putting pressure on small operators.
“To survive, small venues need to be nimble, offer staff a better work-life balance and continue to adapt to changing consumer preferences for more casual dining,” he said.
Smith is tackling another challenge at Bar Rochford: infrastructure. He says the London Circuit (where the venue is located) is a Byzantine labyrinth, making it difficult for patrons to reach the 10-year-old venue.
The combination of light rail expansion, construction, and reduced parking capacity has already hurt many organizations, including the multi-million dollar venture Bada BingIt only took 18 months.
“Visitor numbers have decreased by approximately 30 percent in recent months,” Smith said. “We’ve relied heavily on entrances, but there’s no flow right now. We also face the prospect of limited access and parking until about 2030.”
Ross McQuinn wearing two hats Pilot and one hat such and such He acknowledges that customers are staying away from the city. “It’s great to have better infrastructure, but we run the risk of having nowhere to go out in a few years.”
It is also involved in other ACT initiatives. “While well-intentioned, new government policies portable long service chart Food costs for industry workers will increase. “Sometimes it looks like death by a thousand cuts.”
Industry stalwart Jeff Lamshed from Yarralumla’s Lamshed’s Food + Wine He says the juice is increasingly not worth the squeeze for business owners. “Costs have really gone up after COVID, but the government still thinks it’s like the 1990s when it was a profitable business. I fear some of the big independent venues won’t survive.”
For some entrepreneurs, survival meant pivoting to new business models, like food trucks or hole-in-the-wall-style operations. AK Ramakrishna, who is closing Asian fine dining restaurant XO in 2023, has found success serving Malaysian street food in the annex of the Nishi Building in Acton. AKs.
“It’s freed me to return to my roots and cook authentic regional specialties rather than tone down the spice and heat. The work-life balance is much better, too.”
Canberrans’ sense of loyalty also gives hope. Capital Brewing channeled strong brand loyalty Lager House – Part microbrewery and pub in the East Traders building in Campbell. Both Couttouppes and Smith report an increase in support when they went public about their difficulties on social media. The question is whether the locals will remain loyal long enough.
