‘With sadness': Big change coming to cherished burger joint

Perth Now

7 hours ago

A cherished Heathridge eatery famous for its burgers and toasties has been sold to new owners.
Ryan John Kitchen and Coffee, or better known as RJs, will be changing hands in the coming weeks after serving locals since 2017.
Owner and chef Ryan John posted a detailed and heartfelt post on Facebook to share the update with his patrons.
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'It is with a lot of sadness and a little trepidation, but also tremendous pride, excitement, and gratitude — that I announce we have sold Ryan John Coffee and Kitchen,' he wrote.
'We can't wait to introduce you to our new owners in the weeks ahead as we undertake an extensive handover of our phenomenal team and village!'
Mr John cited a change in scenery as part of the reason behind the difficult decision to sell the restaurant.
'I am also pretty excited to go and work for the man! Small business requires extraordinary effort and resilience, and there are tricky periods that can exert a huge toll on families and relationships,' he added.
'Prior to this year my daughters didn't see me at all on any given Friday. I did 16-hour days and during the early years I did 90-hour weeks as I was unable to afford the wages. There were periods where my mental health became so battered by stress that my staff had to break into my house and drag me out of bed.'
He continued the post by individually thanking his customers, staff, suppliers, his wife and daughters before assuring the business will be left in safe hands.
'To the die hards, the rusted-on lovers of RJ's, the people whose coffee orders are so deeply ingrained in my brain that I will probably remember them for another fifteen years, we love you endlessly. Thank you! It has been a wild and delicious adventure with my best mates, my family, and my village,' the joint's founder said.
'Do you wanna know the best thing of all Heathridge? Our new owners love this joint, and they don't wanna change a thing! 'Same food, same faces, same good vibes. See you all at RJ's...'
The change has been met with an outpouring of love from regular customers and the wider Perth community.
'What a fantastic and heartfelt post of true appreciation. I'm sure with your amazing team and the new owners RJs will continue to succeed. Wishing you all the best in your future endeavours,' one person wrote.
'I cannot get my head round this. Big love and big hugs to Ryan and the team at RJs. Very sad. Miss you already,' a fan of the eatery said.
'All the with your next journey and thanks for creating something unique. Will continue to enjoy a toastie and coffee from the new owners,' another replied.
'Wishing you and the family all the best, Thankyou for all your hard work and big Thankyou for how you have brought the Heathridge community together,' a fourth commented.
The venue was crowned Perth's best burger place by Triple M's 'Best of Perth' competition last year.