Three beloved bakeries in inner-Melbourne have permanently closed their doors, raising concerns about over $368,000 in unpaid staff entitlements.

All Are Welcome bakery, with locations in Northcote, Ivanhoe East, and Thornbury, was established in 2016 and employed 61 individuals. Despite entering voluntary administration earlier this year with debts exceeding $1 million, company director Boris Portnoy repurchased the business under a new entity to keep it running.

Recent reports revealed that employees were owed $243,000 in superannuation and $125,000 in leave entitlements. Following a lockout from the Northcote store on Friday, Mr. Portnoy made the decision to permanently close all three locations over the weekend.

While the future of outstanding staff payments remains uncertain, Mr. Portnoy expressed a commitment to minimizing any negative impact and taking responsibility for the situation. Former employees, speaking anonymously, disclosed frustrations over missing superannuation contributions amounting to thousands of dollars.

Despite the closure, Mr. Portnoy emphasized the bakery's strong community ties and the support received during challenging times, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

Efforts to reach the administrator, Hamilton Murphy, for a statement were unsuccessful.