COVID blamed for closure of German beer hall Munich Brauhaus in South Bank
One of South Bank’s biggest eateries and bars has been forced to close thanks to coronavirus, but disappointed diners will be pleased to know a new restaurant – albeit with a totally different flavour – is already lined up to take its place.
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COVID-19 has claimed yet another Brisbane dining hotspot, with South Bank’s huge German beer hall Munich Brauhaus forced to shut permanently.
The two-storey stein-slinging operation is owned by the Sydney-based Rockpool Dining Group, which blamed coronavirus restrictions and a “tourist drought” for the venue’s closure.
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“Munich Brauhaus is a contemporary take on the traditional big German beer hall and as such has always been a popular destination for tourists and large-group celebrations, both of which dried up during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rockpool chief executive Thomas Pash.
“Until international and interstate borders reopen and customer confidence improves, and we see a return of large-group celebrations, the Munich Brauhaus brand won’t be able to return to peak performance.”
Instead the dining group, which also owns The Bavarian and Sake restaurants, has decided to reinvent the space, moving in one of its other brands – Tex-Mex eatery El Camino Cantina – into the South Bank tenancy.
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“El Camino Cantina is a growth brand for the business and has come out of the COVID-19 pandemic even stronger,” Mr Pash said. “The El Camino customer demographics falls in a younger, more carefree age bracket and the Tex-Mex menu is at a lower price point, which are all important factors in the brand’s successful reopening post-COVID.”
The new South Bank restaurant will open late November featuring seating for more than 500 guests across three zones. The focus will be on live entertainment with DJs playing on weekends.
While the Munich Brauhaus brand may be stymied for now in Queensland, Rockpool continues to expand across the state and will open its first The Bavarian restaurant in Rockhampton on November 9.
“There is huge excitement in Rockhampton about The Bavarian’s arrival, which makes us confident that the brand – which is a one-of-a-kind for the region – will do well in this location,” said Mr Pash.
Taking over the former site of Sizzler at Stockland, the indoor-outdoor eatery will seat almost 500 guests, with a huge beer garden and beer stein chandelier featuring more than 500 1-litre, traditional glass steins.
There are also plans for more El Camino outlets as the group hunts for fresh sites.
“We expect to continue to grow the El Camino brand in Queensland as it has strong momentum and all our locations in the state are seeing strong demand,” Mr Pash said.
