Two years after moving to a bigger, upgraded venue to accommodate more patrons (and seven years since they first opened), the popular Latin American eatery Panama House on Campbell Parade has decided to close, another casualty of the pandemic.
Best known for its happy hour and bottomless brunches, Panama House moved to The Pacific on Campbell Parade in 2018, after five years on Bondi Road.
The second venue was nearly three times the size of its old site but it was where the owners perfected the exact type of Latin American restaurant they envisioned when they started out in 2013.
Co-owner Mitchell Slattery admitted they they could not hold on despite introducing innovative ways to sustain the business. The restrictions were the biggest challenges in operating such a large venue.
The restaurant turned to delivery and pick-up services for their taco box meal kits and alcohol packs as soon as the lockdown was in place. By April, Panama House also launched a virtual brunch competition to attract more patrons online.
Live guest DJs were streamed directly into the living rooms of their customers’ homes whilst they enjoyed their boxed meal deliveries.
However, Slattery said that the altered business model was able to only keep the staff paid. Panama House temporarily suspended operations by May.
But by October 2020, the owners decided to put Panama House into liquidation.
Apart from the tacos, fajitas, grilled seafood, mimosas and margaritas, Panama House also boasted of the best views of Bondi. The restaurant was very popular with the brunch crowd in Eastern Sydney.