“The whole world of fine dining is in trouble”: Crows Nest loses Chef Hat-awarded restaurant facing 50% rent hike

The only restaurant in Crows Nest to hold a GoodFood Chef Hat Award, Annata, has announced its intention to move on from its current location on Willoughby Road after facing a 50 percent rent hike. 

Owner and general manager John Bligh told the Lorikeet the closure has grim implications for the future of local hospitality businesses in the North Shore. 

“I’m not a Merivale [establishment] … what happens is restaurant chains come in, and their model is to take a space and totally refit it to their brand”. 

“What’s going to happen now is a chain is going to take over my place and fit it out”.

While attributing the decision to leave 69 Willoughby Road to the rent rise, Bligh emphasised that this was not a problem with a specific landlord, but a larger issue across the area. 

According to Bligh, the commercial market in Crows Nest has become dominated by the franchises able to pay high rents. 

“If you look at Willoughby Road, it's dominated by fast food”, he said. 

Even more so, the cost of renovation and repairs, which he said is almost always absorbed by the business, places a further burden on smaller businesses trying to compete.

“If you want to rent it, then you renovate it … for example, McDonald’s on the WestPac bank site.”

When asked whether he believed the fate of Annata would be shared by more and more local restaurateurs, Bligh said “I think the whole world of fine dining is in trouble.”

Annata first opened its doors in 2016 and Bligh took ownership of the restaurant in late 2020, where it faced serious challenges in a covid-era hospitality industry. 

“I was immediately hit by covid … the market was incredibly depressed”, Bligh told us. Yet the small restaurant persevered by focusing on bringing people together during this period.

“We started a monthly wine association … the wines tell the story. This week, tomorrow night, we have Toure De France … ten different wines from ten different regions from France … with a french inspired menu.”

Highlighting the significance of the Crows Nest location to Annata’s identity, Bligh stressed the restaurant’s 82 percent return rate: “that means 82 percent of our customers have dined here before.” 

The restaurant has also received significant recognition outside of the local community, having been awarded the Chef Hat Award in 2023 and 2024. Bligh attributes this to Annata’s executive chef, Jordon Garcia. “Our young chef has become a star .. hatted two years in a row.”

Annata is currently looking for a new home that will retain its roots in the North Shore. For now, they will remain at the Crows Nest location until their lease expires on November 30th.

Image Credit: Annata website