Sydney Collective’s latest venue has been embroiled in a copy-cat scandal.
Pazar Food Collective alleges Park House Food & Liquor has replicated a number of signature menu items on their menu, posting side-by-side images highlighting the ‘replicated’ dishes.
Pazar addressed the issue on Facebook after a number of media outlets and customers brought the similarities between the venues to their attention, and even congratulated the venue on their false expansion.
“To make things totally clear, PAZAR Food Collective has not expanded and is not involved with the Park House Food Merchants,” says restaurateur Attila Yilmaz.
“Some months prior we were approached by The Sydney Collective and offered an opportunity to consult on the project. After careful considerate and numerous meetings we at Pazar politely withdrew and declined prior to any signed contractual agreement.”
Sydney Collective has denied the accusation, and addressed the issue in a statement to Hospitality.
“The Park House absolutely maintain that our vision for both our food and venue experience is solely our vision and has been an ongoing project for the past 3 years.
“The allegations that have been made have no substance as Sydney Collective chefs never entered a kitchen with Attila nor were any recipes shared between parties.
“Sydney Collective sent its chef to travel across the United States and parts of Mexico to gain his own inspiration and influence for The Park House menu.”
Yilmaz claims Pazar were so perplexed by the “striking similarities” they decided to experience the restaurant for themselves, and left feeling “confused”.
“PAZAR Food Collective is known for it’s [sic] signature dishes, our slow roasted smoked lamb, harissa roast chicken and smoked labne with apricot jam and piquin pistachios have been widely televised and published.
“These are dishes we have worked on and developed and cooked over the last 4 years, in fact our entire lives. They are dishes inspired by our travels and childhood memories that we are proud of and that we have poured our hearts into. Yet these are dishes that the Park House Food & Liquor promote heavily across their social media streams and website.”
The statement invites the public to make their own judgement regarding the similarities of the menu and poses a question to The Sydney Collective and Park House Food & Liquor: “We ask you, are you happy with mediocrity or do you aspire to greatness?”
Image credit: Daily Telegraph
