Korean Grill House, the three–time winner of the AGFG People‘s Choice Award, will be permanently closing its doors at Point Cook Town Centre on the 30th of April 2023.
This closure is said to be a direct result of excessive rent rises and a bleak outlook for the future of small businesses, a situation compounded by their landlord, Stockland, with owner Arlan Van Rooyan stating, “What we face with our landlord is just PURE GREED. “
The Korean Grill House had been actively engaged with their local community, providing a safe space for dining and engaging with many social groups and charities.
Unfortunately, they say that due to the pressure from Stockland, they have been forced to cancel all bookings and close their doors even before the special day of Mother‘s Day. Despite asking for an extension, Stockland has yet to respond, causing the cancellation of many bookings before the special day with Korean Grill House offering reservations elsewhere.
The community of Point Cook is up in arms about the situation, with the local labour member approaching the Korean Grill House to discuss the unfair treatment of small businesses by Stockland.
One resident, Natalia said, “This says so much about the current mindset of the numpties at Stockland. Charge absurd rents to squeeze out their rent-paying customers so senior Execs can receive their bonuses. How they treat traders is disgraceful. I wish the owners of the Korean BBQ all the best. We loved the food and the service.”
Another resident, Tamara, had this to say, “Council needs to look at what Stockland are doing to their tenants. They’re turning the town centre into a white elephant and destroying locally owned businesses. They need to be investigated for their negative impact on local businesses.”
Arlan says that many local businesses renting in the centre are being harassed, bullied, pressured, intimidated, and rejected if they don’t agree to the increases and are ultimately kicked out.
Stockland recorded a statutory profit of $1,381 million in FY22, a remarkable 25% increase from the year prior when the profit was reported to be $1,105 million. In addition, the commercial property revaluation gains amounted to $725 million, representing a 7.3% increase compared to June 2021 book values.
The Korean Grill House is deeply grateful for the immense support they have had from their community but regret that they will be unable to celebrate Mother‘s Day with their charities at heart.
