Oporto restaurants are forced to close owing $500,000 to the Australian Tax Office

Two Oporto stores have closed their doors after falling foul of the Australian Tax Office.

The restaurants, in Newtown and Darling Harbour in Sydney, are run by franchises that collapsed into liquidation on Friday after the ATO demanded the payment of back taxes they owed.

Jevnt Pty Ltd and Pymz Pty Ltd – which run the Newtown and Darling Harbour locations – owe a combined debt of between $400,000 and $500,000.

Two Oporto stores have closed their doors after falling foul of the Australian Tax Office (file picture)

Their director Ming Zhong had been issued with a director penalty notice by the ATO, ordering him to pay the debt within 21 days or fall into liquidation, news.com.au reported.

The Newtown chicken shop did not open on Friday. The Darling Harbour restaurant has been shut since the Harbourside Shopping Centre closed for redevelopment in January 2023.

Around 20 staff are believed to work at the Newtown store.

There are more than 190 Oporto restaurants across Australia.

The chain specialises in Portuguese-style chicken and was founded by Portuguese-Australian António Cerqueira in Bondi in 1986.

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