Jimmy’s on the Mall reopens after $5 million revamp
A QUEEN Street Mall icon has reopened after a $5 million revamp — just in time for the influx of G20 visitors.
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A QUEEN Street Mall icon reopened this morning after a $5 million revamp, with just a week and a half until international government officials and journalists flood Brisbane for the G20.
Developer Godfrey Mantle’s Jimmy’s on the Mall opened its doors after a 13-week design and construction period.
The two-storey bar and restaurant now stands near the centre of the mall at the site of the old Cafe East, also owned by Mr Mantle’s Mantle Group, while the former Jimmy’s has been demolished.
Mr Mantle said it was a push to get it finished in time to have the scaffolding cleared for the start of the G20 summit next week.
“We worked around the clock. There were many times we were looking at our watches, but we made it,” he said.
He said he could not answer “for obvious reasons” if G20 delegates had made bookings.
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said replacing Cafe East and the old Jimmy’s with one super venue helped open up the Queen Street Mall.
“It’s another plus that these restaurants stay open 24-7, it’s an indication that Brisbane is alive and well,” he said.
Jimmy’s was built in September 1982 and was the first venue to open in the mall.
Mantle Group owns four venues in the Queen Street Mall, including Jimmy’s, Cafe East, Milano and the Pig ‘N’ Whistle.
The mall itself was first developed in 1982 in time for the Commonwealth Games and was designed to revamp what had traditionally been Brisbane’s main shopping strip and to revive the central business district.
It remained largely unchanged until it was extended through to George St in 1999. The last big change to the mall was in 2009 when the council announced the redesigned and renewed Burnett Lane would be included in the precinct.
Originally published as Jimmy’s on the Mall reopens after $5 million revamp