Elliott Wright has announced he is selling his restaurant Olivia’s in La Cala, Spain to return to the UK to be near his family.
The former TOWIE star, 45, confirmed news that he is flogging the eatery after a decade so he can be near his older children, Elliott Jr, 18, and Olivia, 16, who he revealed did not want to carry on the restaurant’s legacy despite his wishes.
The restaurateur has been married to Sadie Wright, neé Stuart, since 2017 and they share three children, Billy, six, John, two, and Dolly, three months.
Despite undergoing an entire rebrand earlier this year and recovering the building from a devastating fire four years ago, Elliott is taking the establishment to auction, with bids starting at €7.5million (£6.5million).
The sale will include the freehold beachfront property, the trading business, and the Olivia’s La Cala brand and trademark. Bidding is scheduled to open December 5.
Olivia’s has been a reality star hotspot for some time, with Elliott’s pal and former TOWIE co-star James ‘Arg’ Argent holding residencies.
Elliott Wright has announced he is selling his restaurant Olivia’s in La Cala, Spain to return to the UK to be near his family (Elliott and his wife Sadie pictured at the restaurant in 2018)
Elliott is pictured on the day he bought the restaurant a decade ago
He revealed he is returning to the UK to be with family. He is father to Olivia, 16, (left) and Elliott Jr, 18, (right) from a previous relationship and shares three kids with wife Sadie
In a new video, Elliott says: ‘Hi everybody, I just wanna do a short reel just to explain that what’s in the news today is true. I am selling my beautiful restaurant Olivia’s. It’s been an amazing 10 years…
‘I’ve loved every minute of it. We’ve got some fantastic memories we’ll take forever with us but I’m a family man, and, I’ve got 3 beautiful children with Sadie. Dolly who come along this year and I’ve got two elder children Olivia and Elliott.’
He then revealed his initial plan had been to hand the reins over to his older children, yet lamented them wanting to pursue different paths.
Elliott said: ‘I always assumed that their dreams would align with mine and they would take over the restaurant, but that’s not the case. Elliott’s been working on and off in the city for the last two years and wants to pursue that career…
‘Olivia passed her GCSEs this year and she wants to carry that same path as Elliott, so it’s something me and Sadie have been talking about for the last 2 years, and we’ve decided we need to all be together…
‘So we’re moving on. It’s a bold new chapter for us. And yeah, whoever is going to be the new custodian of Olivia’s, you know, wish him all the luck in the world. It’s been a great business for me for 10 years…
‘It’s got massive growth over the next 2 years. There’s potential to get to the beach soon. So I hope whoever takes it can take it on another level and do justice to it…
In 2021, Olivia’s was victim to an arson attack, after which Elliott condemned the ‘scumbag’ responsible for the blaze which gutted the Costa del Sol restaurant
Eliott and Sadie welcomed daughter Dolly in August
‘Yeah, I’ve loved it. It’s been an amazing, amazing time. Lots of, of great memories. We’re selling it via Bromley’s Estates. It’s one of the biggest estate agents down here.
‘We’re doing an auction process for it. I think that’s the easiest way for us and yeah, like I say, by next season there’ll be a new owner…
‘This will be my last Christmas and New Year here. It’s just, it’s been fantastic. I don’t know who these owners could be…
‘As I say, time will tell. I’ve had people before come in and want to buy us a house. What a house it will be. It’s huge, over 9000 square foot, the build size, or just under the build size is here, so who knows what it will be…
‘It’s not for me to decide. I’ve decided I want to move to the UK, new business venture. I want to be around all my children and turn the page. It’s been 10 years. It’s been emotional. I’ve loved every second of it…
‘I love Le Cala de Mijas. We’re going to holiday here all the time, so I’m not leaving. I’m always going to be here. It’s always going to have a special place in my heart, but that is the situation, so what you see in the papers is true…
‘I’ve had a few people say, is it true, so I’m putting it out there, it is. That’s the situation, and I look forward to my. New chapter with the children and the kids and Sadie in the UK.’
Olivia’s has been a reality star hotspot for some time, with Elliott’s pal and former TOWIE co-star James ‘Arg’ Argent (pictured with Love Island star Amy Hart) holding residencies
Sadie and Elliott tied the knot in 2017 and welcomed their first son together in 2019
In 2021, Olivia’s was victim to an arson attack, after which Elliott condemned the ‘scumbag’ responsible for the blaze which gutted the Costa del Sol restaurant.
At the time, in a video uploaded online, the devastated star walked around his restaurant, which has been completely destroyed by the fire, before pledging that he would have it reopened.
He said: ‘So probably one of my worst videos I’ve ever made. My beautiful restaurant, my dream that I always dreamt of having, that I built six years ago, that was still work in progress, has been completely destroyed, absolutely destroyed…
‘Devastated. And I can say now that it is arson. Someone’s come and took my whole dream away, for whatever reason I’ll never know, because I don’t have any enemies as far as I’m aware, I didn’t think I did..
‘Whether it’s jealousy or competition, it doesn’t really matter.’
The plan to be closer to family comes in the wake of a slew of tragedies, including suffering a miscarriage, Olivia’s’ arson attack and losing his dad to Coronavirus.
He lost his father Edward Wright in March 2021, who died at the age of 66 following an eight-week battle with Covid.
He lost his father Edward Wright in March 2021, who died at the age of 66 following an eight-week battle with Covid
Elliott is pictured with his daughter Olivia on her 16th birthday in April
Elliott shared the news on Instagram and wrote: ‘It is with heart wrenching regret, that I have to post this post.
‘My father Edward George Wright passed away peacefully with his family by his side on the 02.03.2021 after bravely fighting Covid for 8 weeks…
‘For those who knew my father, you know what a great man he was, always smiling, always humble, always happy, despite the fact in his later years he bravely fought prostate cancer…
‘To Dad, what can I say that you don’t already know in heaven, you are and will always be my rock, my best friend, the man who taught me to always be a gentleman, to put family first!’
Elliott Jr is pictured in Olivia’s with Sadie and Olivia’s sons Billy, six, and John, two
