Queen St Mall faces tough times

The Queen Street Mall is facing tough times with plenty of lease signs and traders exiting, but Brisbane City Council’s latest move has left one expert stunned.

Retail guru Gary Mortimer is one of those academics who likes to pound the pavement in the name of research.

The QUT professor told City Beat that a recent walk through the Queen Street Mall to test the CBD’s retail pulse was an eye-opener, especially the top section from Albert St to George St.

What he found was plenty of lease signs and boarded up space.

“Now with five levels of Myer disappearing on Sunday, why would you go to the top end of the Mall,” he says.

“The bottom end looks great with Zara, H&M, Queens Plaza and Edward St, but the top end is bloody ordinary. Incumbent retailers at the top end of the mall would be thinking `what do we have to do to get foot traffic up here’.”

Queen Street Mall is suffering, one expert has found. Picture: Steve Pohlner

City Beat reported this week that George Clooney’s favourite coffee brand Nespresso is looking at closing its flagship store in the Queen St Mall to concentrate on new outlets in the suburbs.

It seems parts of the city are still suffering from post-pandemic blues that means many city workers are still working several days a week at home.

Mortimer says the Brisbane City Council’s decision to tear down Milano’s — which has been there for decades – to make the Mall more open hasn’t helped the top end.

“It was really, really strange. Their argument was to get a better flow through. But a flow through to where?” he says.

Milano’s and another long time mall venue, Pig ‘N’ Whistle, ceased operating at the end of June under the council’s plan to “revitalise the city” and potentially make way for a pop-up gin bar and food trucks.

Professor Gary Mortimer

Pub test

The finishing touches are being made to a $9m refresh at the Belvedere Hotel on the Redcliffe peninsula. Most of the Lewis Land-owned venue has been closed since mid-2022 for the renovation but the property is set to reopen in early November. With the venue going from 300 to 1100 seats, The Belvedere is on a massive recruitment drive and looking to fill over 200 roles from bar, kitchen and floor staff to management. At the moment, the venue is fully closed for a period of eight weeks but will reopen in its skeleton format mid-September before fully reopening with an entire new level one lounge bar and dining area, new open dining space, a pizzeria, gelato shop and more – in early November.

Lewis Land Queensland regional manager Chris Allison says the milestone not only signifies the transformation of the venue but also presents a tremendous opportunity for the local community. “With over 200 positions available, we are dedicated to creating employment opportunities and contributing to the growth and prosperity of the Redcliffe area,” Allison says. “We have all types of roles available and are encouraging everyone who is interested in an exciting career in hospitality to apply.”

An artist's impression of the renovated "The Belvedere Hotel"

Vegetarian option

Apparently there are a few non-meat eaters among the shareholders of Australian Agricultural Co, the country’s biggest pastoral group. Among a spread that included Wagyu burgers and other meaty delights put on for shareholders after the company’s annual general meeting on Thursday was a lonely tray of vegetarian quiches. AACo’s board were at risk of a bit of indigestion with Joe Lewis, the controlling shareholder of the 199-year-old firm, indicted for insider trading in the US and faces charges including sharing confidential information with his personal pilot about the impact of the 2019 Queensland floods on the company. Lewis has denied the charges.

Vegetarian quiches on offer at AACo annual general meeting this week. Photo: Glen Norris