Anatolia Turkish Kebab House has ceased trading, as its operating company, Anatolia Turkish Cafe Ltd, was placed into liquidation by shareholder resolution last week.
The company operated the Turkish restaurant and takeaways business in Princes St for about 10 years, before moving to a larger premises in the ground floor of the street’s historic Excelsior Hotel building in 2023.
The liquidators’ first report, released this week, said company director Murat Bay had operated similar operations successfully for many years.
“However, he has advised the liquidators that current economic times have made trading very difficult.
“He sought professional advice about the future of the company and on that basis has made the difficult decision to place the company into liquidation so as to limit the financial situation.”
A decrease in sales coupled with increased food and wage costs meant the company had been unable to keep up with payments.
The restaurant ceased trading just before the liquidation.
While the company creditors did not appear to be significant, the company did “not have sufficient assets to repay all liabilities”, the report said.
Mr Bay told the Otago Daily Times in a 2023 interview he and his wife believed the restaurant would be their last venture.
Originally from Kayseri, a large city in Central Anatolia, Turkey, he moved to Dunedin to work for his brother at Paasha Turkish Cafe & Restaurant more than 20 years ago.
He and his wife later opened Anatolia around 2012, as well as Trojan Turkish Cafe & Restaurant in George St.
Trojan was sold after three years and Anatolia was kept as the family’s “baby”.
The report said the liquidators were at this stage only aware of six unsecured creditors.
The total estimated liabilities were yet to be established.
They were advised the company had liabilities to Inland Revenue and the exact amount of preferential debt was being confirmed.
It was also understood there was a small amount of holiday pay entitlements outstanding to ex-employees, less than $1000 in total.
Attempts to reach Mr Bay for comment yesterday were unsuccessful.
