Top pair quit Cobb & Co

By SIMON HENDERY

The embattled Wilson Neill Corporation has suffered a further blow as two key franchisees quit its Cobb & Co restaurant chain.

The loss of its Manukau and Taupo franchises the 21-restaurant chain's two top performers by turnover throws further doubt on Wilson Neill's bid to sell Cobb & Co.

Taupo franchisee Stuart Orr said he and Malik Wijeyaratne, who owns the Manukau restaurant, had left the Cobb & Co chain "to pursue further interests" but would continue to run their businesses under new names.

Orr declined to comment further and Wijeyaratne could not be reached.

The Business Herald revealed this week that a number of Cobb & Co franchisees were unwilling to support the sale of the company to a group of three Christchurch businessmen because of a link between one of the men and former Wilson Neill managing director Colin Herbert.

Herbert said yesterday he had no interest in or involvement with the bidder, Hospitality Brands.

A second bid by Cobb & Co creditors to have the company wound up was adjourned in the High Court at Dunedin yesterday.

The three creditors' applications to have Cobb & Co liquidated was transferred to the High Court at Auckland for a hearing on April 4 the date already set down for a related hearing involving other Wilson Neill creditors.

Last week, an application to wind up the entire Wilson Neill group was adjourned until April 4 to give the company time to sell an asset to settle its debts.