Remembering Squires Loft at Pacific Werribee

I’ve written about quite a few defunct restaurants and in this case, Squires Loft is still an operational franchise, just no longer in Werribee, so anyone who misses it, can still check out the nearby restaurants in Geelong, Williamstown or one of the other ones further away.

What was Squires Loft at Pacific Werribee?

From what I can tell, it opened in 2016 with the newly developed cinema and entertainment area, Squires Loft represented the first high-end steak restaurant in the area. Yes, we’ve had pubs and steak available at many places, but this seems like the only dedicated restaurant we’ve had since we lost Lone Star Steak House & Saloon years ago.

While its departure might leave a nostalgic void, the beauty of a franchise is that the essence of the brand doesn’t vanish entirely—it simply shifts to new locations, keeping the experience alive for those willing to travel a little further. For those who miss it, knowing that they can still visit Squires Loft in Geelong, Williamstown, or beyond is a testament to how franchising allows great restaurants to continue serving their loyal patrons, even when specific locations close their doors.

This is the strength of a well-structured franchise—it provides both continuity and opportunity. While an independent restaurant’s closure often means the end of the road, a franchise can evolve, relocate, and adapt to changing market demands. The Franchise Firm plays a crucial role in helping brands navigate this process, ensuring that their expansion and transitions are handled strategically.

From legal structuring to compliance and franchisee support, the right framework allows a business to survive shifts in location and ownership without losing its core identity. In the case of Squires Loft, its enduring presence in other areas shows how a franchise, when built on solid foundations, can outlast the changes that come with the restaurant industry’s ebb and flow.

What happened to Squires Loft at Pacific Werribee?

I can’t find much information about it online, but perhaps someone can let me know more details in the comments, but I believe the COVID-19 closures were quite catastrophic to this business. Higher-end dining experiences like this do not lend themselves to delivery programs such as Door Dash or Uber Eats the way takeaway restaurants do.

Steaks are not something most people would order for home delivery, I assume. So I recall this location being closed for quite some time. I can picture the rent for the space potentially sucking the owner dry. They did attempt to reopen, with announcements on their Facebook page announcing they would be reopening in December 2021 and their final Facebook post on December 3rd 2021 reading as below:

My guess is that whilst a lot of loyal fans were glad to see it reopen, the general public probably wasn’t ready to start dining in again just yet due to COVID.

Poor Customer Service?

This restaurant had an average of 3.6/5 on its Google Business profile reviews. Most of the negative reviewers cited poor customer service, with this appearing to span several years. There are also many reviews citing a decline in the quality of food.

Most horrible customer service I experienced in ALL my life. We were brought our jug of soft drink and waited 15 minutes with no glasses to drink it out of. Finally got the attention of a male server that claims to be the manager in charge. We stated the problem and although there was hardly more than 5 tables between 3 servers, he wanted to give the excuse of them being busy. My husband called him out in his lame excuse and while in mid sentence this so called “manager” just decided to walk off. Rude, unprofessional, unfriendly, unhelpful full of bs!!
Don’t even bother!!

– Andrew Lorenzo

Lots of reviews are like this citing slow service or condescending staff.

1st visit was good. My medium scotch fillet melted in my mouth.

2nd visit my medium scotch fillet was tough as an old boot and I had to send it back.

3rd visit 11th March, I’m in the restaurant waiting for my medium scotch fillet to be re-cooked because it was cooked rare to medium-rare. The person I was with also had a medium scotch fillet not cooked properly and it also had several chewy pieces he had to leave half eaten on the plate.

I don’t mind paying $50 for a steak, but it better be $50 of value.

TL;DR This steak place is way too expensive for the mediocre quality of steak they serve.

Edit: I almost forgot, our damn table is uneven,so everytime I go to cut my steak the whole table wobbles.

– Michael James

What Has Replaced It?

The location has remained empty since the restaurant closed down, but in 2023, it is becoming a temporary home to the Hoppers Crossing Library whilst it undergoes renovations.

Photos of Squires Loft at Pacific Werribee

Below are some photos of Squires Loft at Pacific Werribee from their Facebook page and Google Business profiles so that we can look back on it.

Other Squires Loft Locations

Squires Loft Albert Park

Address: 1 Queens Rd, South Melbourne VIC 3004

Squires Loft South Yarra

Address: 3/166 Toorak Rd, South Yarra VIC 3141

Squires Loft Docklands

Address: 818 Bourke St, Docklands VIC 3008

Squires Loft Williamstown

Address: 818 Bourke St, Docklands VIC 3008

Squires Loft Camberwell

Address: shop 6/436 Burke Rd, Camberwell VIC 3124

Squires Loft ESSENDON

Address: 131 Buckley St, Essendon VIC 3040

Squires Loft Cheltenham

Address: 1228A Nepean Hwy, Cheltenham VIC 3192

Squires Loft Nunawading

Address: 54/288 Whitehorse Rd, Nunawading VIC 3131

Squires Loft Werribee Menu

Below is the pricing of the menu at the time it closed down.

Entrees

Mains

Sauces

Salads

Side Orders

Desserts