City seafood spots call time as hospitality pressures bite
Two of Melbourne’s chic inner-city dining spots are set to close their doors for good, with owner Jeremy Schinck citing a mix of post-Covid challenges, mounting debt and a tough staffing landscape as key reasons behind the decision.
Pearl Chablis and Oyster Bar will serve its final seafood and wine pairing on 19 July, wrapping up a three-year run in the CBD. Its sister venue Pinchy’s, just around the corner, will also shut that same weekend.
“The industry is still dealing with the residual mess of Covid. Nothing has bounced back, we’re not getting the Monday to Friday crowds in the office,” Schinck told The Herald Sun.
“At Pinchy’s, we have been hanging in there for last two years and have had to work twice as hard to earn half as much.”
“We’re never going to trade out of the debt we are in. The margins are that small and we’re not making up for the winter losses in summer... I’m just so deflated by it all.”
Schinck, who’s spent three decades in hospitality, believes part of the issue lies in how the sector is treated. “I feel like if there were a mandatory tertiary, or upper level education, requirement to work in the industry, people may start taking the job more professionally.”
While it’s the end of the road for Pearl in its current form, Schinck hasn’t ruled out a future reboot. The 28-seat venue earned a loyal following for its focus on premium seafood and Burgundy’s signature Chablis wines.
Jonathan Jackson, 7th July 2025
