He’s the TV chef-turned-best-selling author that’s amassed a fortune thanks to his creative culinary masterpieces.
But when it comes to his restaurant empire, Jamie Oliver, 43, has failed to cook up the same kind of success he’s experienced in his many other ventures.
Discussing the issue the Australian Jamie’s Italian restaurant franchise has faced, the star believes Sydney’s lock-out laws and his failure to listen to what diners really want caused the venues to struggle Down Under.
‘That’s the reality…’: Jamie Oliver ‘blames Sydney’s lockout laws and lack of pizza’ as main factors for struggling Italian restaurant empire across Australia. Pictured on May 23, 2018 in London, England
During an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday, Jamie discussed what exactly happened after Keystone, the local operator for his Australian franchise, collapsed.
‘I went in and saved on the first kind of bit of trouble that we had with Keystone,’ Jamie said after the company went under in 2016.
‘Which was obviously a shame because they were being run beautifully. They were great restaurants but we got dragged down with the nightclub scenario.’
The publication report that Jamie cited Sydney’s lock-out laws, which affected Keystone’s liquor venues, as blame, saying: ‘That’s the reality of what happened.’
Opening up: During an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald , Jamie discussed what exactly happened after Keystone, the local operator for his Australian franchise, collapsed
Making it work: ‘I went in and saved on the first kind of bit of trouble that we had with Keystone,’ Jamie, who claimed the lock-out laws in Sydney had hit venues hard, said after the company went under in 2016
When asked what he’s learned from reclaiming the Aussie venues, Jamie says it has forced him to listen to what diners really want to eat.
He added: ‘They all really want a good pizza and I’m like: ‘No, no, you get pizza at a pizzeria, that’s what happens in Italy.’ And the truth is, they don’t give a s**t.’
‘They want what they want so I’ve had to take a humble pill.’
‘I was a bit holier than thou.’
Time for change: When asked what he’s learned from reclaiming the Aussie venues, Jamie says it has forced him to listen to what diners really want to eat – which mainly includes pizza
A slice of the truth: ‘They all really want a good pizza and I’m like: ‘No, no, you get pizza at a pizzeria, that’s what happens in Italy.’ And the truth is, they don’t give a s**t,’ Jamie said
Keystone launched Jamie’s Italian Australian chain in 2011 and ran the empire for five years before it announced it had gone under in 2016.
While the Canberra venue has since shut down, Jamie still has venue’s in Sydney’s CBD, Parramatta, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.
Jamie currently employs 2,000 members of staff across his 25 restaurants all around the world.
In February, The Sun claimed the empire had amassed $125 million in debts.
Open for business: While the Canberra venue has since shut down, Jamie still has venue’s in Sydney’s CBD, Parramatta (pictured), Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide