‘The world has changed’: Much-loved Melbourne restaurant closes down after 32 years

An acclaimed Japanese restaurant in Melbourne has shut its doors and brought in liquidators after 32 years in business, citing rising costs and economic “uncertainty”.

Ocha, a Hawthorn eatery lauded multiple times in the Good Food Guide, told customers it has made the “heartbreaking” decision to close down after appointing liquidators.

“Sadly, the world has changed. The continuing economic pressures, rising costs and uncertainty have made it increasingly difficult for small, independent restaurants like ours to survive,” owners Michelle Rogerson and Yasuhiko Yoshida said in the joint statement.

“Despite everything we have put into Ocha, we have reached a point where we simply cannot continue as we have for so many years.”

The couple said that “nothing could have prepared us for the challenges of recent years”, which included Victoria’s long shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the farewell message, Rogerson and Yoshida did not rule out the possibility of reopening.

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“We don’t quite know what the future holds, but perhaps there will be another way for us to continue doing what we love and bring a little bit of Ocha back into your lives,” the statement added.

“For now, it’s sayonara.”

A notice on Ocha’s website states that the restaurant is “closed under further notice”.

Rogerson and Yoshida voted on Friday to voluntarily wind up the business and appointed Andrew Juzva from GS Andrews Advisory as liquidator.

Nine.com.au has contacted the owners and GS Andrews Advisory for comment.

Ocha opened in Kew inside a butcher’s shop in 1994.

The owners moved to new premises in 2010 and became known for its popular blend of traditional Japanese fare using Australian produce.

It has been named multiple times in The Age’s Good Food Guide and was nominated for best BYO restaurant of the year in 2013.