Wellington's Wilson Barbecue restaurant enters liquidation amid debt crisis

Wellington restaurant Wilson Barbecue, known for breaking a Guinness World Record for burger sales, has gone into liquidation owing significant debts, primarily to Inland Revenue. The closure occurred on April 1, 2025, after four and a half years of operation, with Wilson Barbecue citing difficult retail conditions and an inability to meet debt obligations. Two related entities, Wilson Barbecue Willis Lane Limited and Smashed Limited, are also in liquidation.

Wilson Barbecue Limited’s liquidation was triggered by its inability to manage its debt levels and the company owned over $600K to New Zealand's Inland Revenue Department. The liquidators’ report attributes the insolvency to the challenging economic climate in the food retail industry, resulting in diminished cash flow. Inland Revenue is the largest creditor, owed $644,192, a figure expected to rise due to unaccounted interest and penalties.

Fifteen staff members were working at Wilson Barbecue before the liquidation. While the company stated that all wages have been paid, but $17,781 is still outstanding in holiday pay entitlements. The company also owns approximately 75 unsecured creditors total of $297,372. These creditors include ANZ, Coca-Cola Amatil (NZ), Contact Energy, DB Breweries, Heartland Bank, Massey University, Mitre 10, Silver Chef Rentals, and Z Energy.


The company is also owed related party advances totaling $178,068. Of this amount, $164,014 relates to debtors that are also in liquidation. The restaurant was owned by Blair and Casey Wilson.

Wilson Barbecue Willis Lane Limited, intended to support the business's expansion to a new Wellington location, entered liquidation on March 5. The liquidators explained the failure was due to lower than anticipated customer traffic leading to cash flow issues.

Smashed Limited, a food truck operating a smash burger pop-up, had ceased trading in August 2023 and entered liquidation on April 3. Blair Wilson is listed as a director of all three companies, according to Companies Office records.

In August 2023, Wilson Barbecue gained recognition by selling 6336 burgers in 15 hours, breaking the Guinness World Record for most burgers sold in a single day. The previous record was held by American YouTuber MrBeast.

This event raised $10,946.31 for the Porirua charity WELLfed, comprising 10% of sales and additional donations. The event offered $10 cheeseburgers and a “Pay It Forward” option for customers to donate a burger.