A popular butcher who has been crowned Sydney’s best has been forced to close after a Westfield shopping center decided not to renew its lease.
Craig Cook The Natural Butcher has been operating at Westfield Bondi Junction, in the city’s east, for nine years and recently surprised customers with the announcement of its closure.
The butcher was crowned the best in town by Australia Business News in February and will now be replaced by another meat supplier, Vic’s Meat.
In a lengthy LinkedIn post, Craig Cook said small and medium-sized businesses were relying on the length of leases at shopping centers to offset the high costs of running their stores.
Craig Cook The Natural Butcher has been operating at Westfield Bondi Junction in Sydney’s east for nine years and recently surprised customers with the announcement of its closure.
“Here’s the problem, and the malls have all the power!” said the butcher.
‘One of our prime locations is Bondi Junction and we were recently told by the authorities that they would not be renewing our lease.
‘Craig Cook has been the definition of an ideal tenant, operating for 8 years in the centre, always paying rent on time, producing an excellent business record, as well as maintaining a beautiful store with regular updates to the shop’s facilities and equipment. store.
“Even during all of COVID, in very difficult times, Craig Cook was the perfect tenant.”
The butcher was crowned the best in town by Australia Business News in February and will now be replaced by another meat supplier, Vic’s Meat.
The butcher warned that no business was safe, adding that they had since been left with a “huge” bill for moving and removing fixtures from the shop.
“Our wonderful customers now have no choice but to shop with us online or travel to Broadway, our closest location,” the butcher continued.
‘The law in New South Wales must change! In some other states, you are at least given the first right of refusal, and that should be the same case here.
‘If you’ve done everything right and committed to a store in a shopping centre, how fair is it that they can literally rip the floor out from under you?’
‘With current laws no business is safe!’
The butcher warned that no business was safe, adding that they had since been left with a “huge” bill for moving and removing fixtures from the shop.
Westfield is run by Scentre Group, which said in a statement that the butcher shop’s lease expired in September last year and they had been allowed to continue trading.
“Demand for space at Westfield Bondi is high and retailers are actively bringing us new and interesting concepts,” a Scentre Group spokesperson said.
‘Our team is focused on curating the best retail experiences and sales to meet the changing demands of our customers.
“We have plans for the next evolution of Westfield Bondi, including the introduction of elevated dining and health and wellness experiences.”
Craig Cook has 11 stores in Sydney and Newcastle.