Redevelopment forces closure of MoVida Lorne

A PLANNED groundfloor redevelopment of the Lorne Hotel by new owners Merivale will see the permanent closure of restaurant MoVida in three months.

A company spokesperson said current staff will be redeployed in the business and, after the renovation is complete, another restaurant from the Sydney-based hospitality group will open.

Headed up by Corio-raised chef Frank Camorra, MoVida has been operating out of the Lorne Hotel since December 2018, the town where he first got into the culinary game as an apprentice at the Arab Restaurant which closed in 2017.

“We had a good couple of years before COVID hit, which didn’t make it easy,” Mr Camorra said of the turbulent last few years that saw travellers to the town all but dry up.

“It was always going to be on the cards but it’s pretty sad, there was a lot of blood sweat and tears that went into it.

“We always understood that Merivale do their own thing, their own concepts,” he added, stressing that there were no hard feelings between the two.

Mr Camorra said it’s not the end of MoVida in the region, he’s currently looking for other opportunities in Geelong, saying “watch this space”.

Restaurant Coda is unaffected at this stage as it sits above the ground floor redevelopment area, though it’s understood staged refurbishments of the venue’s upper floors are planned.

Merivale purchased the famous seaside venue from previous owners the Upham family for $38 million last year.