The Queensland-based dessert chain Cowch has gone into liquidation and closed its doors after nine years.

Co-founder Arif Memis announced the news in a LinkedIn post.

Describing Cowch as “our beloved business” he wrote “As founders, owners, and husband and wife team, we have poured our hearts and souls into building Cowch from the ground up, and it pains us deeply to reach this difficult decision.

“Over the past four months, Cowch has been in voluntary administration as we desperately sought out an investor who could provide the support needed to keep our dreams alive. We explored every avenue, leaving no stone unturned, in the hopes of finding a lifeline. Regrettably, despite our unwavering dedication and tireless efforts, we have been unable to secure the necessary investment,” he wrote.

“We are working closely with the administrators to ensure that all matters are handled with the utmost care and transparency. Our aim is to minimize the impact on our dedicated staff members, loyal suppliers, and cherished customers as we navigate these uncharted waters.”

Memis thanked team members and customers for their loyalty and support.

Arif and his wife Havva moved to Brisbane from Sydney to start a new life, and opened the doors to the first Cowch outlet, at Southbank, in May 2014. The brand was franchised in 2019.

The founders looked at boosting business during Covid with a production facility, and last year tested, and pulled back from, a crowdfunding initiative. They had hoped to raise funds for a smaller footprint gelato bar, to buy equipment for the production facility and streamline processes for the dessert chain.

“Cowch has been a labor of love, a dream that we nurtured and watched flourish over the years. We are immensely proud of what we have achieved and the mark we have made on the dessert and cocktail scene,” Memis wrote.

This story was originally published on Franchise Executives.