The company operates the Madam Woo, Hawker and Roll, and Rata restaurants in four cities. Photo: Facebook
An extreme shortage of staff is being partly blamed for a nationwide hospitality business going into voluntary administration.
The Queenstown-based Go To Collection group has called in administrators from PwC to try to restructure and save some of the business.
The company has more than 100 staff and operates the Madam Woo, Hawker and Roll, and Rata restaurants in Queenstown, Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga.
Co-administrator Malcolm Hollis said the company had been struggling for some time.
"The company has experienced a difficult period due to the impact of Covid-19, especially the extreme shortage of staff."
Administrators would work with owners and staff to draw up and put in place a restructuring plan to save the parts of the business with a future, he said.
"The best performing restaurants will continue to provide high quality services. However, the less popular sites will be closed. Nearly all existing staff will be retained," Hollis said.
A restructuring plan and creditors meeting were planned before Christmas.
The group was founded in 2012 and majority owned by chef Josh Emett, a former judge on MasterChef, and well known restaurateur Fleur Caulton.
In a 2018 interview Caulton said the group had an ambition to have 100 restaurants in New Zealand and overseas, although it closed a Madam Woo restaurant in Dunedin 2019 citing skilled staff shortages.
