Prominent restaurant booking platform, The Fork, will cease operations in Australia due to the economic strain and the impact of the global Covid pandemic on the hospitality industry.

The company announcement sent via an email to members on January 8, 2024 cited the significant impact of the pandemic on the global economy, particularly the hospitality industry, as the reason for its exit. The Fork's local website and app will be switched off on March 31, 2024.

"After careful consideration, we regret to inform you that TheFork will be discontinuing its operations in Australia," the company stated. "Due to the significant impact the pandemic had on the global economy, particularly the hospitality industry, we therefore had to implement certain cost measures, which includes a reduction of TheFork's geographical footprint."

Users of The Fork have until the end of March to redeem their Yums loyalty points. After this date, any unused points will expire. Services will remain fully operational until the closing date, with users able to continue booking at their favourite restaurants until then.

From April 1, 2024, Australian user accounts, including any published reviews, will be removed from TheFork platform. User data relating to any closed accounts will be removed, in accordance with the terms of its Privacy Statement and, where applicable, subject to a data retention period, in accordance with applicable law.

Gift cards will remain valid for three years from the date of purchase and can be used at any dine-in restaurant in Australia.

The Australian arm of The Fork, previously known as Dimmi, was launched in 2009 by hospitality industry entrepreneur, Stevan Premutico. It was purchased by TripAdvisor in 2015. The Fork's competitors include OpenTable, SevenRooms and Yelp Reservations.

"Thank you for your trust throughout the last 15 years and most importantly, for supporting local restaurants," The Fork concluded in its announcement.