Tax office forces closure of Pizza Mario in Surry Hills

Sydney has lost one of its leading pizzerias after the Australian Tax Office stepped in over unpaid debts at Pizza Mario.

"I got a message from one of my staff saying 'we can't open tonight'. My reaction was, 'Who says we can't open tonight?'," recounts owner David Cowdrill, who led Sydney's new wave of authentic Sydney pizzerias at Pizza Mario in Surry Hills.

Cowdrill had been negotiating with the ATO over unpaid debts but maintains he was blindsided and the matter escalated legally. Court-appointed liquidator PPB Advisory is still tallying outstanding creditors, including the final amount owed to the ATO.

An ATO spokeswoman says it doesn't comment on individual businesses.

Cowdrill blames a number of reasons for the closure, including flatter trade and his location in the St Margarets development, which has experienced high restaurant turnover. "It's getting harder and harder for operators. Insurance is up, rents are up, there's superannuation and other costs."

The restaurateur remains involved as a consultant at the John Martin-owned Da Mario in Rosebery, and would like to reopen Pizza Mario elsewhere in the future. "This will keep me down for a while, but it won't stop me."