Aria restaurant in Brisbane to close doors after 10 years of operation at Eagle Street

Celebrity chef Matt Moran has denied financial reasons are behind the shock closure of his signature restaurant Aria Brisbane.

MATT Moran has denied financial reasons are behind the shock closure of his signature restaurant Aria Brisbane, saying it is just the right time with the venue’s lease coming to an end.

The fine diner today announced it would carry out its final service on June 15, bringing to an end its 10-year run at Eagle Street Pier.

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“We just decided it was time,” said Moran, who owns the restaurant with hospitality group Solotel.

“We talked to them about other options but that was the best option I think to go out on a high.”

Industry insiders had suggested the restaurant may have been struggling financially after the opening of Brisbane riverfront dining precinct Howard Smith Wharves last year, but the celebrity chef denied that was a factor.

“Aria is a different market to those guys (Howard Smith Wharves),” he said.

“That’s got nothing to do with it.

“It wasn’t hurting financially, it was time. No tenure and that was it.”

Celebrity Chef Matt Moran at his ARIA restaurant, Brisbane. Photographer: Liam Kidston.

With the Eagle Street Pier precinct due for redevelopment in the next few years, Moran said he wasn’t prepared to spend money on a restaurant with no tenure.

The celebrity chef and television personality said staff had been offered opportunities at other Solotel-owned venues including Riverfront Bar and Little Big House in Brisbane and Aria in

Sydney, but believed they would be snapped up by other local restaurants.

He also didn’t rule out opening another Brisbane Aria, if they could find a site they could own outright.

“It’s too early to say that but I never say never,” he said.

“We’re always looking around for different things, and if the opportunity came up, of course.”

In announcing the closure earlier today, Moran said: “All good things come to an end and the end of the current lease seems like the perfect time for us to go out on top in Brisbane.

“It has been an incredible decade and an absolute honour to be able to work with the best chefs and staff and the finest ingredients that Queensland has to offer.”

Solotel CEO Justine Baker said the restaurant group would continue to evolve and change with the fluctuating hospitality scene across Brisbane.

“The exciting part of hospitality is that it is such a dynamic industry and we can never stand still and rest on our laurels,” she said.

“We will continue to innovate to bring the best of dining and entertainment to our guests.”