Four long-running Boost Juice stores in popular tourist hotspots on Queensland's Gold Coast have shut their doors after the company operating the franchise went into liquidation.
Abadell Pty Ltd, which operated Boost Juice stores at Robina, Australia Fair, Paradise Centre and Surfers Paradise, was wound up in the Federal Court on May 1 following legal action linked to unpaid tax debts. Liquidator Helen Newman from BDO Advisory has been appointed to the company.
The four stores are now listed as “temporarily closed” online. Some had served customers for more than 20 years. Records show Abadell Pty Ltd, owned by Karen and Steven Ackland, opened the Paradise Centre Boost Juice store in 2003, followed by Surfers Paradise in 2004, Australia Fair in 2006 and Robina in 2009.
Customer shock at sudden closures
The collapse has stunned customers, particularly given the popularity of the stores across some of the coast’s busiest retail precincts. “There are always big lines at these locations,” one local wrote online after news of the closures emerged. Several online commenters described the family behind the four affected Gold Coast franchises as well-known and widely respected on the coast.
ASIC records show directors Karen and Steven Ackland established Abadell Pty Ltd in South Australia in 1991 before building up the Gold Coast Boost Juice network over the following decades.
Home of the franchise owners up for auction
At the same time as the liquidation proceedings, the Acklands are preparing to auction their waterfront Clear Island Rd home in Broadbeach Waters. The mansion became known among football circles as a share house for young Gold Coast Suns AFL players, including defender Mac Andrew who recently appeared in promotional material for the property.
“They were always so welcoming of all our teammates and we often had barbecues overlooking the canal,” Andrew said. “It was handy having the pool here to do a bit of recovery after games and on a hot day it was great to relax on the deck.”
Property records indicate the Acklands purchased the home for $1.43 million in 2004. An earlier attempt to sell the mansion last year with price expectations above $5 million failed to secure a buyer before the listing expired. The property is now due to go to auction on May 29.
Boost Juice franchise network affected
Boost Juice itself is one of Australia’s best-known franchise success stories. Founded in Adelaide in 2000 by Janine Allis, the smoothie chain rapidly expanded from a single juice bar into a global brand spanning more than 850 stores across 13 countries.
The affected Gold Coast stores operated as franchises under Abadell Pty Ltd rather than directly by Boost Juice parent company Retail Zoo. It remains unclear whether Retail Zoo will take over or reopen any of the four locations. The company and the liquidator have been contacted for comment.
