Downtown Brooklyn to close as Penrith burger restaurant makes shock announcement

A burger restaurant has announced it will be closing down after eight years in business.

Downtown Brooklyn at Penrith, in western Sydney, revealed on Sunday it will no longer be trading from December 22.

‘To our amazing burger lovers: thank you from the bottom of our hearts,’ its owners said in a statement.

‘Your support has meant everything to us, and you’ve been the reason we’ve kept going, even during the toughest times. 

‘You’re more than customers to us — you’re part of our DB family. Your smiles, laughter, and loyalty have carried us through the years. 

‘You’ve celebrated milestones with us, stuck by us through the ups and downs, and made this little burger joint so much more than just a business. 

‘We are forever grateful for the love you’ve shown us and the memories we’ve shared together.’

Downtown Brooklyn first opened as Big Poppa’s Burger Bar in 2016 and quickly became a High Street favourite among locals. 

It is the second burger restaurant to announce its closure in less than a month after Wing Fix revealed it had shut its venues in Brisbane in November. 

Wing Fix operated in Coorparoo and Newmarket. 

Owners Peter and Ross Jacobi said they had been left reeling from the forced closure. 

‘You probably couldn’t write a worse run for hospitality in particular, but small business or even business in general,’ Peter Jacobi told the Courier Mail.

‘It’s been really tough the last five years, but in particular the last two years, since back to back interest rate rises, which is something that the hospitality industry or small business haven’t really had to go through.’

Mr Jacobi said soaring operational costs led to the collapse of the popular eatery. The siblings started the restaurant out of a market stall seven years ago.

Mr Jacobi revealed the cost of staples such as fresh produce and dairy, has gone up by a massive 15 and 25 per cent.

‘When you combine that with a decrease in sales and already fine margins … it needs to become more expensive to become more viable for the business,’ he said.