Chef Louis Couttoupes is hanging up his apron. Photo: Onzieme.
Louis Couttoupes opened Onzieme in 2021 to great acclaim. It was shortlisted for Best New Restaurant the next year, and named Canberra’s Best Restaurant by Gourmet Traveller in 2023. Onzieme has earned hats, awards and (according to the owner) is still a profitable business.
But Louis has had enough, and he announced on social media that he’s selling up.
Unlike other venues that have closed due to low profits, Louis said the main reason he’s leaving is simply that he can’t get enough staff to run the place.
“It’s been incredibly hard from a staffing point of view. I don’t think there’s been a single month in the five years we’ve been here without a staffing crisis of one kind or another,” he told Region.
“We’re just constantly advertising for staff and unable to fill positions at a qualified level.”
Joanna Hunkin (editor, Gourmet Traveller) and Louis Couttoupes (Onzieme) on the red carpet when Onzieme won Best ACT Restaurant in 2023. Pic credit: Tom Stephens for Gourmet Traveller.
When the lease came up for Onzieme, Louis realised that he didn’t want to be living this cycle of ‘finding staff, training staff, losing staff’ for the next five years.
“The idea of signing on for another 5-year lease knowing I’d have to take on more and more … I’ve run out of energy.”
While he said that casual front-of-house staff are generally easier to find – thanks to Canberra being a university town – it’s the qualified and experienced chefs, managers, bartenders and sommeliers who are particularly difficult to find and retain. He described it as “an insurmountable challenge”.
Part of the pressure has come from the fact that Louis is the sole owner-operator of Onzieme, so he has been personally covering several roles in the business, which has become unsustainable for him. Businesses with multiple partners have others to fall back on, and hospitality groups often come with big financial backers and resources. He says the industry has become much harder for independent operators to attract staff.
“What’s happened recently is that big money from interstate has started to expand its footprint in Canberra, and because they have deeper pockets, they can throw their weight around,” he said.
“Chris Lucas, in particular, when his group came down, they had such a big budget that they were giving staff these packages 20 to 30 per cent above market rates. Their budget for sous chefs alone was greater than my entire wages budget. There’s no way we can compete.”
Even though the Lucas group didn’t stay in Canberra for long, Louis believes their presence distorted labour market expectations.
And there’s long been a culture of Canberra-trained chefs leaving for the big lights of Melbourne, Sydney and overseas – particularly to London. And many who leave Canberra don’t come back, but those who do come back have ended up running some of Canberra’s best venues (Bar Rochford, Pilot and Paranormal Wines all come to mind).
The crispy galette has been a stalwart of the Onzieme menu, and diners can enjoy it until 30 May. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
He also noted issues like the new portable long-service-leave scheme, ongoing cost-of-living pressures, inadequate training of apprentices, and customer behaviour.
He knows the hospitality industry has some big, systemic problems, but also admits that he doesn’t have the answers.
“There’s a collective effort that needs to be made from the industry, policymakers and consumers in order to change things. I’m worried that in 5 years Canberra is going to be devoid of any independent businesses that have worked so hard to create that food culture here, and it’s just going to be those big groups.”
Louis is currently fielding enquiries from people interested in taking over the space or the business. He genuinely still believes that there is potential for something special in this corner of Kingston and is working to find the right operator for the space.
He isn’t ruling out a return to hospitality eventually. But for now, he just wants a holiday.
“I’m looking forward to reclaiming some of my life. I need some genuine rest … I want to go on a holiday with my partner and not worry about the restaurant.”
“I still love the industry, and eventually I’d love to come back and do something if we could find a new concept with a good work-life balance.”
Onzieme’s last day of service will be 30 May.
Original Article published by Lucy Ridge on Region Canberra.
