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Providoor, the Australian gourmet food delivery service that was created during the first COVID-19 lockdowns, has collapsed and will be placed into liquidation.
In a message on the company's website, founder and chef Shane Delia said it has already stopped accepting orders.
"Later today, Providoor will be formally placed into liquidation," he said.
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"But, effective immediately, we are no longer accepting orders."
The statement did not provide any information about what will happen to Providoor gift vouchers that haven't yet been redeemed.
Delia said the economic headwinds facing the hospitality industry at the moment were behind the collapse.
"I created Providoor during lockdown, when the hospitality world was in disarray and we needed to find a way to survive," he said.
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"Providoor meant we could secure and create jobs as well as give people a little bit of restaurant joy during a pretty dismal time.
"When people kept using Providoor after social restrictions were lifted, it showed us that it was a really good idea.
"I just wish it had been given the opportunity to work through the challenging economic conditions, the same facing so many in the restaurant and hospitality sector right now."
The gourmet delivery service was launched in 2020, allowing Melburnians and Sydneysiders to order finish-at-home meals from fine dining restaurants at a time when COVID-19 restrictions prevented much of the country from eating out.
The business expanded to Brisbane in early 2022.
A range of restaurants across the three cities had signed up for Providoor, including Delia's own Melbourne eatery, Maha, as well as Icebergs, Supernormal and Restaurant Hubert.
Delia said he was proud of the company despite its collapse.
"While today is a very sad day, I am proud of Providoor and what it has achieved," he wrote.
"We served more than one million meals and built something that made a difference during some very dark days."
Providoor is the second major delivery service to collapse this month, coming just weeks after grocery business Milkrun shut down, pointing the blame at deteriorating "economic and capital market conditions".
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