Chinese restaurant Little Valley to close

After just two years and a string of critical acclaim, the owners of Fortitude Valley’s Little Valley have made the “devastating” decision to close. It had not reopened since COVID forced its doors shut in March.

OWNERS of the award-winning Brisbane restaurant Little Valley have made the “devastating” decision to close, revealing the business is simply no longer viable.

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The contemporary Chinese restaurant, bar and function space in Fortitude Valley shut in March when COVID-19 lockdowns began and has not reopened.

Little Valley in Fortitude Valley will not reopen after closing during COVID.

“It’s pretty devastating,” said stakeholder David Flynn.

“We just don’t think it’s responsible to try to operate something that we know isn’t commercial with the implications of COVID and overheads businesses have. Little Valley – the fundamentals of that business, the overheads – operational and otherwise – in the location and the space and the model that we had just wasn’t something that could survive.”

Little Valley co-owner David Flynn said the decision not to reopen was devastating. Picture: Liam Kidston.

The sister restaurant to the hugely popular Rick Shores eatery on the Gold Coast opened just over two years ago and went on to win the “Best Service” award in The Sunday Mail’s annual delicious. 100 and a chef’s hat last year.

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Mr Flynn said the business had not gone into liquidation and all staff and suppliers had been paid out.

The bar area at Little Valley

“The first thing we did when the shutdown happened was we made sure that we took care of staff in terms of entitlements, made sure everyone’s leave was paid out, their super was paid, and that way if the worse did happen – which it has with Little Valley – we certainly haven’t left staff hanging, and suppliers the same,” he said.

“As an ongoing commercial business it was just not something we could see being financially feasible and justify continuing in the current and future environment.”