Redfern Chinese Redbird and Barangaroo Mexican restaurant Tequila Daisy close down in Sydney

Two more restaurants have joined a growing wave of Sydney hospitality closures, with the hatted Redbird restaurant in Redfern and its sibling eatery Tequila Daisy announcing they will close their doors immediately.

The closures follow the recent departures of new-wave Sydney eateries Raja and Khanaa, and the announcement the 35-year-old Tetsuya’s fine diner will shut permanently at the end of July.

Redbird and Tequila Daisy owners Hamish Ingham and partner Rebecca Lines cited the cocktail of rising costs, staff shortages, increased rents and outgoings as reasons behind their decision.

“We started our first business during the global financial crisis and successfully navigated COVID. However, the current trading conditions are the toughest we have seen in our time of operating venues. With another quieter year approaching, we have decided it is best to call time on our venues,” they said in a statement.

Industry pundits fear the restaurant closure tally will mount in the coming months.

The onetime young guns of Sydney hospitality cut their teeth with Bar H in Surry Hills before joining the throng of operators who flocked to the Barangaroo precinct.

The now seasoned restaurateurs have proven quick in the past to adapt to the market. In 2021, they rebooted Banksii restaurant as a casual Mexican restaurant, Tequila Daisy.

In 2022, eyeing a gap in the market for a Chinese restaurant in Redfern, they opened Redbird. Ingham, an ex-head chef at Billy Kwong, had the CV for the gig, and the awards followed.

“As we and our staff find our feet during this difficult time, we hope that you will understand and respect our privacy. We promise it’s, ‘See you soon, not goodbye’.”

Redbird Chinese, the trading name of Daisy Trading Co, appointed a liquidator on May 14, according to the ASIC website.

And in another blow to the hospitality industry, Botswana Butchery restaurants in Sydney, Canberra, and Melbourne will cease to trade from May 14.

The New Zealand-owned steakhouse restaurants entered voluntary administration in early April.

“Due to the significant cash losses being incurred in operating the restaurants, the group’s shareholders are no longer able to fund the ongoing trading and restructuring costs,” the company’s administrators said in a statement.

The group’s directors have advised that for customers with valid pre-paid restaurant vouchers or pre-paid reservations, the group will provide a full refund or a voucher for the group’s New Zealand restaurants.