Howard Smith Wharves having South Bank for lunch
Restaurateurs in one of Brisbane’s longstanding dining districts claim they are losing customers to popular new precincts, including Howard Smith Wharves.
QLD Business
Don't miss out on the headlines from QLD Business. Followed categories will be added to My News.
THE war between Brisbane’s premier dining precincts is biting, with claims the south end of South Bank is becoming a ghost town as trendy new spots gobble up foot traffic.
Eateries at the southern end of the strip claim the once-thriving district is losing customers to popular new districts, including Howard Smith Wharves.
Talk of the Town: MasterChef’s Tessa Boersma leaves ARC Dining
Howard Smith Wharves boss says Stanley to open as planned, despite rush to be ready
delicious100: The shock Qld restaurant closures of 2019
It comes as The Courier-Mail can reveal a group of businesses approached South Bank Corporation this year, concerned about low foot traffic in the precinct’s south.
At least eight properties in the South Bank precinct were empty with “for lease” signs when The Courier-Mail visited the area last week — five on the southern end.
Several business owners in that area claim a neighbouring lot has been without a tenant for more than two years.
Recently closed eateries at that end of the precinct include Manhattan Line, Nu Energy and Paper Fish.
Hop & Pickle co-owners Adam McWhinnie and Hao Gao were among business owners to raise issues about foot traffic with South Bank Corporation.
The pair, who opened up on Little Stanley St in January 2018 and employ 10 people, said they were stunned to find their pub and neighbouring bars and restaurants virtually empty on theoretically lucrative weekend evenings.
“You should effectively be able to print money, because there’s going to be people everywhere,” Mr McWhinnie said.
“That isn’t the case any more.”
Mr Hao suggested revitalised areas such as James St and Howard Smith Wharves were taking some of the shine off South Bank.
South Bank Corporation rejected the claims, saying it continued to see strong levels of foot traffic
A spokeswoman said the precinct had a 90 per cent occupancy rate.
“We cannot speak on behalf of tenants, but regular positive feedback from retail tenants and the recent opening of Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers in Little Stanley St is an expression of confidence in the precinct,” she said.
South Bank Corporation refused to be drawn on whether foot traffic in the area had fallen, instead saying: “South Bank Precinct continues to attract a high level of foot traffic.”
Adam Barton — who owns River Quay Fish in South Bank as well as Brooklyn Standard and Fat Angel Sports Bar and Grill in the City — also rejected the complaints, saying his businesses had experienced their best winter ever.
“(Howard Smith Wharves) hasn’t really had any effect on us at all,” he said.
“We get people who come down to dine and they spend money.
“We’re not getting people who are going to drink and then stop and leave.”
But Mr Barton said he expected there could be a few casualties in the next six to 12 months, because he didn’t believe Brisbane had the population to sustain the number of eateries that had opened recently.
“And people don’t want to pay the prices that it costs to produce the food any more,” he said.
“If you had asked me two years ago, we were keen to do a couple more (venues), but now landlords are getting too greedy, staff want too much money for wages and it’s just getting harder and harder, and the profit margins are getting smaller and smaller.”
Popolo owner Andrew Barturo also said his venue has had its best trading period since opening in 2011.
Leah Quinn from Gaythorne celebrated her birthday with a ladies’ lunch at Howard Smith Wharves yesterday and said the new precinct had more to offer than South Bank.
“I’ve been down (to South Bank) a couple of times ... and you walk out at 10pm and everything is closed,” she said.
Why global money is rethinking ‘anything but China’ trade
Big investors are preparing to play in China again, but the wild swings are not for the faint hearted.
‘Devastating’: Greyhound’s ghastly track injury, death reignites racing debate
The death of a greyhound following a neck-breaking crash at a Qld meet has attracted the furore of anti-racing advocates, but industry chiefs insist it was a “freak” accident on “one of the best tracks” in the state. *Distressing content.