Staff at the popular Cape Town restaurant Riboville were devastated on Tuesday after they were told by management halfway through their shifts at lunchtime that the restaurant was closing down and they were out of a job.
The announcement was so sudden some staff members knew nothing of the closure of the restaurant in the former Standard Bank in St George's Mall, only to arrive for work at 3.30pm to find closed doors.
Standing outside Riboville consoling a colleague, food and beverage manager Dylan Pienaar said: "We were told nothing. I heard something a while ago we might be closing for a few days for renovations, but not this (the closure)."
Inside the restaurant, staff helped themselves to the last of the fresh produce, while a pianist played a melancholy tune in the background.
Another staff member said the restaurant was liquidated after its German owner and investor "pulled the plug".
He said the almost 50 permanent and casual staff would be paid their full salaries for April.
The restaurant was operating well with regular patrons, but the rental was "crippling".
Riboville received a Diners Club International Winelist excellence awards in 2007.