Jo’Burger closes with 100 job losses

THE Jo’Burger Group has announced that it has gone into liquidation resulting in the immediate closure of all of its Dublin restaurants.

Alongside the Jo’Burger chain, the group also ran Crackbird, Hey Donna and Bar Giuseppe, all of which will close with the loss of around 100 jobs.

The group, owned by restaurateur Joe Macken, has locations in the city at Smithfield, Temple Bar, Dame Street and South William Street as well as a restaurant in Rathmines.

Mr Macken had only opened the latest addition of Bar Giuseppe above his Castle Market street restaurant a few months ago.

‘With great regret we confirm that Jo’Burger Group Ltd is going into liquidation’, the group said in a statement.

It cited a ‘combination of factors including challenging trading conditions’ as the reason behind the closures, adding that it would ‘cease trading, effective immediately’.

‘We would like to thank our many customers for their years of support’, it said. ‘But mostly thank you and sorry to all our crew and suppliers for their dedication and trust’.

Owner Mr Macken had also closed popular pizza joint Skinfint and Bear Restaurant in the city centre before the closure of his remaining restaurants was announced.

Last December, it was reported that the chain recorded losses of €205,552 at the end of 2016, which it put down to a competitive market and high rent rates around the locations of its eateries.

The group had previously gone into examinership in 2009 owing €350,000, but managed to recover from the setback and returned to trading in the city. Just last year, Mr Macken had reportedly bought out the majority share of his business partner John Roberts, who had stepped in after the company’s financial difficulties in 2009.

The group is thought to have employed around 100 people across its restaurants and had sought to hire new employees as recently as August.

Just last month, its Smithfield restaurant had also signed up to home delivery service Uber Eats.