A popular burger chain has collapsed forcing more than a dozen stores to close their doors while over 100 staff lost their jobs.
Getta Burger closed 11 of its stores across south-east Queensland on Thursday after the company plunged into voluntary liquidation.
It’s understood 107 workers were made immediately redundant following the shocking collapse after six companies linked to the burger joint were forced to shut down.
liquidation with 11 stores across south-east Queensland forced to close” class=”blkBorder img-share” style=”max-width:100%” loading=”lazy” /> Popular burger chain Getta Burger has plunged into voluntary liquidation with 11 stores across south-east Queensland forced to close
The burger chain operated stores in several parts of the growing region, including in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Ipswich and Logan.
Liquidator Ian Currie, from insolvency firm BRI Ferrier, was appointed as liquidator as the stores closed on Thursday.
Mr Currie told Daily Mail Australia that employees were informed on Thursday that they no longer have a job.
‘There were 11 trading stores that were closed yesterday and all the employees of those 11 stores had their employment terminated unfortunately,’ he said.
He said four other stores operated by the company have already gone bust and he has been appointed to oversee the liquidation of seven separate companies associated with the burger chain.
Mr Currie said no other stores operated by the company across Australia have been affected at this time.
He said his team is still figuring out how much debt the company owes, including in unpaid wages to employees.
‘There’s a fair amount of tax outstanding and landlord liabilities,’ Mr Currie said.
‘Whether they (employees) get super remains to be seen… there’s about 1.5 quarters of super outstanding.’
Employees are set to lodge their entitlement claims through the Fair Employment Entitlement Guarantee Scheme to receive unpaid wages, annual leave, and superannuation.
Most of the staff who have since been made redundant are understood to be casual.
Staff are owed wages that are outstanding from Monday through to Thursday.
Mr Currie said the operations of the stores have wound up and they are currently in negotiations to sell the land.
‘We’re talking to a party who may be interested in acquiring the site…but that’s very early days,’ Mr Currie said.
Getta Burger CEO Brent Poulter told Daily Mail Australia in a statement said that the decision to close the stores was a tough one to make.
‘On Tuesday I took the difficult decision to close our Getta Burgers stores,’ Mr Poulter said.
‘Although this decision was an extremely difficult one for me to make – personally and professionally -it came after a thorough evaluation of the business’s operational costs and our future viability.’
‘I want to express my sincere gratitude to all employees, customers and suppliers who have been a part of the Getta Burger story. I appreciate your dedication and support.’
The company, headquartered at Bulimba in Brisbane’s east, had been in business since 2012.
The company’s two stores in Townsville are understood to have been unaffected by the liquidation.
The chain’s website is still up and running however users are unable to search for store locations.
The company’s website is still up and running however users are unable to search for store locations
Two of the company’s stores in Townsville are understood to be unaffected by the liquation
Mr Poulter, a Brisbane local, is also the director of the six companies affiliated with Getta Burger that have closed down and is also the director of the Townsville stores that are still trading.
The company’s Instagram page which boasts more than 22,000 followers has not been updated since the company went under.
Several diners commented on the burger chain’s most recent post asking about the store’s liquidation while some expressed their sadness at the store’s closure.
‘Why are all the Getta Burger joints in SEQ (south-east Queensland) say they are permanently closed? What happened?’ one user asked.
‘Sad to see them close and staff lose [their] jobs,’ another person posted.
The latest dent in the company’s operations marks a tough year for Mr Poulter at the helm of the company.
He was forced to close down Low n Slow Meat Co, a smokehouse butcher shop in Morningside, in April after a legal stoush with the local council over a ban on the store trading its products at a butchery owned by multi-million dollar company.
He has also previously closed another hospitality venue.
The latest dent to the company marks a tough year for Getta Burger CEO Brent Poulter (pictured) who has been forced to close several companies affiliated with the burger chain