Boss back in business
THE boss of a failed Gold Coast cafe which left creditors almost $600,000 out of pocket is planning to open a new restaurant at Harbour Town in the same name.
Award-winning chef Luke Turner was the manager of Providore Marina Mirage, owned by Providore Qld Pty Ltd, when it went into liquidation in June.
On Friday, LTTN Pty Ltd registered the business name Providore Harbour Town with its registered address at the Biggera Waters shopping centre.
Mr Turner is the sole director and shareholder of LTTN Pty Ltd.
“Yes, we’re talking to them about it (opening up a Providore at Harbour Town),” Mr Turner told the Bulletin yesterday.
When asked how he was opening up another restaurant when creditors were still owed money from Providore Marina Mirage, Mr Turner said: “I don’t understand how I am connected to that.” He then hung up.
The liquidators’ report released in late September states Providore Qld Pty Ltd, which was in Mr Turner’ mum’s name at the time, owed 40 creditors $589,722 and they were unlikely to receive a cent back.
According to the report, Mr Turner ran the failed business.
“The director’s son, Luke Turner was responsible for the day-to-day management of the company,” liquidator Gavin Charles Morton wrote.
Dawn Turner was the sole shareholder and director of Providore Qld Pty Ltd from November 21, 2017 when she bought it from Mr Turner’s former partner Elizabeth Austin.
Mrs Turner owned the business for five months before it went into liquidation.
The liquidators report states the failure of the business was due to trading losses and not enough capital. “The company incurred losses totalling $74,700 during the financial year ended June 30, 2018,” the report states.
“The company had incurred a loss of $92,581 during the financial year ended June 30, 2018.
“From my preliminary investigations, it appears that the company was insolvent since at least July 2017.”
Providore Marina Mirage is not associated with Providore Brickworks and Providore University.
Management at Harbour Town declined to comment yesterday.
I DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW I AM CONNECTED TO THAT