City eating spot hits tough times
A well-respected restaurant is up for sale as financial woes push the business into liquidation.
Bethany’s, on The Square in Palmerston North, had been run by its owners Reuben and Lynne Leung Wai for eight years before it ran into trouble.
Reuben Leung Wai said the couple were gutted to have to put the restaurant into voluntary liquidation on Tuesday.
Bethany’s, attached to the city council building, was named after their eldest daughter, who died after an eight-month battle with bone cancer in 2005, two days after her 12th birthday.
During the first five years of trading, a dollar from every child’s meal sold at the restaurant went to the Child Cancer Foundation.
Liquidator Imran Kamal said he aimed to sell Bethany’s as a going concern and the restaurant would remain open as usual for now. ‘‘There’s 20 staff working at the restaurant who would lose their jobs, no-one wins if I just close it down.’’
Kamal didn’t expect too much trouble finding a buyer once it went on the market. ‘‘It’s in a great location and has a great reputation, so it’s got a lot of potential for the new owners.’’
The liquidator’s report, detailing the company’s debts and assets, was expected to be released by the end of next week.
Restaurant Association Manawatu president Sean Kereama said Bethany’s troubles were a surprise and his heart went out to the couple. ‘‘It’s a shock and a real shame. Reuben’s a great craftsman [in the kitchen].’’
Leung Wai had more than a decade of international experience in the industry when he opened Bethany’s.
He has worked in the oldest restaurant in London, Rules, and he has worked in the busiest, Browns.
He has been the food development manager for a chain of 150 restaurants. And when the family returned to New Zealand 12 years ago, he was the part-owner and executive chef at Palmerston North’s successful Rendezvous restaurant in Summerhill.
Kereama said Bethany’s built a sterling reputation over the years, with its kitchen staff earning several industry awards, and Leung Wai had always been ready to help charity with donations and his time.
It just went to show how tough the hospitality industry was when even someone at Leung Wai’s level got into difficulty, he said.