Elliott Wright reveals why he’s really selling his €7.5m Spanish restaurant loved by celebs following arson attack and tragic death
Elliott Wright told the Daily Mail why he sold his €7.5 million Spanish restaurant and moved back to England.
Elliott is putting restaurant and entertainment venue Olivia’s La Cala up for auction with bids starting at €7.5 million (£6.5 million), despite completely rebranding earlier this year and saving the building from a devastating arson attack four years ago.
The venue, which has been a hot spot for reality stars for some time, has had its share of troubles, with the establishment coming under attack by graffiti vandals two years ago shortly after a bouncer was killed there.
The former TOWIE star, 45, opened up about the challenges of running a business but ultimately said ‘the good times outweighed the bad’.
He explained: ‘Running businesses is difficult; It’s not easy. It looks glamorous, but it needs a lot of work. You work day and night. Every business has its challenges.
‘You will go through difficult times in your personal and business life, but you have to face the difficult with the smooth. If you want a smooth ride, don’t own your own business.
Elliott Wright told the Daily Mail why he sold his 7.5 million euro Spanish restaurant and returned to England and admitted that he had ‘difficulties’.
The former TOWIE star, 45 (pictured with wife Sadie) now opened up about the challenges of running a business but ultimately said ‘the good times outweighed the bad’.
‘All businesses have tough times and good times, but you get through them and we always bounce back.
‘Olivia’s is a party restaurant. It’s a fun place to be. You can’t sit there and think about what happened in the past. You have bad times, but the good times outweigh the bad. And Olivia’s situation far outweighs that.
‘None of that really played a part in this. No matter what job you take, you will go through it. It’s an integral part of being a business owner.’
Elliott confirmed the news that his older children, Elliott Jr, 18, and Olivia, 16, would be selling the hot spot after a decade to reveal that he did not want to continue the restaurant’s legacy, despite their wishes.
The restaurateur has been married to Sadie Wright since 2017 and they share three children: Billy, six, John, two, and Dolly, three months.
He explained: ‘I’m positioning myself in Spain for a lifestyle choice that kids don’t want to be a part of. I don’t want to divide my children either.
‘Everyone has dreams and I basically thought they would come in and take over so I could step back and watch them develop and show them how to do it.
‘I would love to show my children how to be successful in this regard, but you can’t force your dreams on your children. It was a lovely dream, but it was a pipe dream and not one they wanted to pursue.
He announced that he would return to England to be with his family. He is father to Olivia (left) and 18-year-old Elliott Jr (right) from a previous relationship, and shares three children with wife Sadie.
Olivia’s has been a reality star hotspot for some time, with Elliott’s pal and former TOWIE co-star James ‘Arg’ Argent (pictured with Love Island star Amy Hart in 2023)
Pop star Jessie J was also a fan of the venue (pictured with Elliott and Sadie in 2019)
‘There’s no sad feeling about it at all. I am very happy and will be closer to my children. ‘The most important thing for me is to spend time with the children.’
Elliott added that he still plans to own property and has business opportunities in the UK that he is excited to explore.
The sale will include the waterfront property, commercial operation and Olivia’s La Cala brand and trademark. The tender is planned to be held on December 5.
Olivia’s has been a hotspot for reality stars for some time, with Elliott’s friend and former TOWIE co-star James ‘Arg’ Argent staying in the guesthouses.
In 2021, Olivia’s fell victim to an arson attack, after which Elliott condemned the ‘scum’ responsible for the fire that devastated the Costa del Sol restaurant.
In a video posted online at the time, the devastated star walked around his restaurant, which was completely destroyed by fire, and promised to reopen it.
He said: ‘Probably one of my worst videos I’ve ever made. My beautiful restaurant, which I built six years ago and is still under construction, my dream that I always dreamed of, has completely disappeared, completely disappeared…
‘Ruined. I can now say this was arson. Someone came and took away all my dreams, for whatever reason, because as far as I know, I have no enemies, and I didn’t think I did.
‘Jealousy or rivalry, it doesn’t really matter.’
Her plan to be closer to family came after a series of tragedies, including her miscarriage, Olivia’s arson attack and the loss of her father to Coronavirus.
Sadie and Elliott married in 2017 and welcomed their first son together in 2019
Eliott and Sadie welcomed their daughter Dolly in August this year
In March 2021, he lost his father, Edward Wright, who died aged 66 after an eight-week battle with Covid.
Elliott shared the news on Instagram and wrote: ‘It is with heartbreaking regret that I have to share this post.
‘My father, Edward George Wright, passed away peacefully with his family on 02.03.2021 after bravely fighting Covid for 8 weeks…
‘Those who know my father know what a wonderful man he is; always smiling, always humble, always happy, even though he bravely fought prostate cancer in his last years…
‘To my father, what can I say that you don’t know in heaven, you are my rock and always will be, you are my best friend, you are the man who always taught me to be a gentleman, to put family first!’
