THE future of Subo appears uncertain after the Newcastle restaurant's Hunter Street premises was seemingly repossessed by its owner.
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A notice posted on the door of the restaurant read: 'Possession of premises has been taken by the owner, please contact agent'.
The Newcastle Herald contacted Castle Property Hamilton, however, a spokesperson for the real estate agency said they were unable to comment on the matter.
Subo's social media channels have been inactive since August 18, with the restaurant's most recent post asking for qualified and skilled chefs to send in their resumes.
The Newcastle Herald attempted to contact Subo via phone and social media but they could not be reached.
It remained unclear whether staffing issues were to blame for the restaurant's apparent closure just months after Subo announced in June that it had a new head chef, Alannah Miceli.
Staffing issues and rising costs have plagued hospitality venues across Newcastle since the arrival of COVID-19.
Earlier this month, Islington restaurant Pino's announced that it would close its doors permanently due to the difficult conditions created by the pandemic and the follow-on high cost of doing business.
"The staffing situation is what got me at the end of the day," Dion Pophristoff, chef and owner of Pino's Restaurant, told The Newcastle Herald.
"I'd probably keep it going, but I was just sick of training staff, non-stop."
Beau and Suzie Vincent opened the intimate 40-seat Subo in 2011 and it earned a reputation as one of Newcastle's top dining establishments and became the only hatted restaurant in the city.
The couple sold the business in 2021 to spend more time with their two young children.
Kay Roberts took over ownership of the contemporary bistro shortly before the second wave of Covid-19 lockdowns.
The timing meant that Subo missed qualifying for any form of government financial support "by just a few weeks", Ms Roberts told The Newcastle Herald in July.
Months of reservations had to be cancelled when in-house seated dining ceased.
Ms Roberts recently said the pandemic "hangover" continued to be felt.