Mecca brand moves to the suburbs
A POPULAR Broadbeach restaurant that expanded to the suburbs under new ownership says it is booked out for two weeks.
Mecca Bah Hope Island opened its new doors on July 2, the minute the three-day Queensland lockdown lifted for the Gold Coast.
Mecca Bah head of marketing and events Anna Brobjer said opening night was a chance to “test the kitchen” without bookings.
“It blew up within a minute,” she said. “I woke up on Saturday morning and had over 200 Instagram messages of people asking for a table.
“It’s been crazy. We are fully booked for the next two weeks.”
The ownership for Mecca Bah Broadbeach changed hands in May this year after previous disputes with staff.
Ms Brobjer said she left the company for eight months and came back once new Gold Coast-based owners Jack Chaglasian and Mark Geraghty took over.
“The old owners were based in Sydney,” she said. “Jack and Mark have worked with the company for four or five years. They are very hands on and know all the staff.”
She said the Mecca Bah
brand was taking the opportunity to dig deep into the Hope Island community and create a family-based atmosphere
“We are shifting the focus on to running a family venue and quality over quantity.”
In late 2018, Mecca Bah owner Garry Simonian was found to have unfairly dismissed employee and restaurant manager Hana Boudna on the grounds she was “spreading false rumours”.
The circumstances around
Ms Boudna’s Fair Work win of $18,000 were almost the same as employee Hasmilk Kozmanyan, who was owed $12,000 for unfair dismissal four months earlier.
At the time of the Boudna decision, Mr Simonian said he did not agree with the outcome of the case.
Ms Brobjer said an official opening was planned for the new Mecca Bah in two to four weeks. It would include pizza and cocktail-making classes.