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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Geraldton restaurant Laian served its last customers on January 19, 2025. In a report published five days later, PerthNow said the closure followed head chef Nadeem Turkia’s stage four lymphoma diagnosis and his move to Darwin to be with family during chemotherapy. The report also cited staffing difficulties and economic and operating-cost pressures.
What happened to Laian?
Laian, a Middle Eastern restaurant in Geraldton, Western Australia, closed after its final service on January 19, 2025, according to PerthNow’s January 24, 2025 report. The restaurant had opened in mid-2022.
PerthNow attributed the closure to a combination of circumstances: Turkia’s treatment-related departure from Geraldton, difficulty keeping the restaurant operating and finding another chef, and broader economic pressures and rising operating costs. Those are the factors described in the report, not independently audited accounts of Laian’s finances.
Turkia’s diagnosis and move to Darwin
PerthNow reported that Turkia had been diagnosed with stage four lymphoma and needed to leave Geraldton for Darwin to be with family during chemotherapy. An earlier community update from the Rotary Club of Geraldton Greenough, published November 6, 2024, said Turkia was in Darwin receiving cancer treatment while others helped run Laian in the interim. The bulletin provides an earlier point in the timeline; it does not establish further medical details.
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Laian’s place in Geraldton
Laian’s story began before its closure. A 2023 ABC feature on Turkia and the community behind the restaurant and a Western Australia Tourism Commission career guide profile describe his refugee background and the local support that helped him pursue his restaurant plans. The career guide says he arrived in Australia in September 2016.
PerthNow reported that Laian was included in the top 100 of the 2023 Western Australia Good Food Guide and that Turkia appeared on SBS’s The Cook Up with Adam Liaw. In his remarks reported by PerthNow, Turkia recalled the community effort behind the restaurant: “We had big plans for Laian, and we worked with an amazing community to achieve them.” He also described the experience of serving its customers as a source of lasting memories.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known about Laian after the closure?
The closure report documents the last service on January 19, 2025. The sources cited here do not verify whether Laian later reopened, or establish Turkia’s current health or professional status. His reported remark that he looked forward to returning is not confirmation that a return or reopening took place.
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