Fritzenberger to open second store in Wilston

ITS location in one of Brisbane’s most exclusive suburbs has long meant this shopping strip has been a popular cullinary destination. So why are all the restaurants now pulling out?

HIPSTER Brisbane-owned eatery Fritzenberger will open a second outlet and its arrival could revive a trendy village that sports several for lease signs and a dormant restaurant.

Fritzenberger owner Andrew Jeffreys said the time was right to expand the business at Wilston Village on Brisbane’s north side.

The outlet will occupy the premises of a Coffee Club cafe that shut down last week after having been the most prominent tenant of the Village for some two decades.

Mr Jeffreys said it was almost two years to the day Fritzenberger started serving its first beers burgers, beer and frites in the former Casablanca nightclub venue on the corner of Caxton St and Petrie Terrace.

“The Wilston site is on a corner with plenty of sunlight and it’s going to be a great place to sit out in the street and have a few fresh beers,” Mr Jeffreys said.

“We know there’s a market because of where our Uber eats deliveries are going to.”

Fritzenberger owners Andrew Jeffreys and Rohan Baumgart. Picture: Chris McCormack

The eatery, which brews its own beer at its Petrie Terrace venue, is set to open on Saturday, September 15.

Its presence will be a pleasant change given a passer-by would be forgiven for thinking Wilston Village was anything but prosperous.

Several shops are empty and adding to the impression that the Village is on ‘Struggle Street’ and not Kedron Brook Road is the ghost like restaurant NoVo.

Peer through the windows of NoVo, which has been out of operation since May, and you get the feeling this fully-equipped restaurant could open any day now.

NoVo owner Justin Faignes blames himself and not the vibrancy of the street for his demise after just three months of operation.

Mr Faignes took over the tenancy in February but by May it was obvious the restaurant was doing nowhere near the figures he had based his purchase on.

Instead of pulling in $20,000 plus a week, it was more in the mid-teens.

The former Coffee Club at Wilston is being converted into a Fritzenberger. Picture: Darren Cartwright

He said the decision to close was based on it being less of a financial hit to cease operations and just pay the rent on the five and-half-year lease.

“The rent wasn’t too bad … it was one of my lower expenses. It was always the wages and the biggest issue was revenue,” he said.

“When I took over in February there was a 40 per cent drop in revenue.

“It was still taking good money but not enough to cover the wages and I managed to stick it out for a few months but we were looking at loses of $3,000 and $4,000 a week and we couldn’t afford to absorb that for too long.”

A note on the restaurant door says where to contact Mr Faignes and it’s just one of several signs in the street advertising for new owners.

Raine & Horne Commercial agent Hudson Dale is also on the lookout for small businesses wanting occupy premises in Wilston Village.

One of the empty shops at Wilston Village. Picture: Darren Cartwright

One of the tenancies he is offering is a former bakery while another used to be a cafe and grocery store.

Mr Dale said the Village was well frequented and a number of businesses were thriving, however for some owners, the rental fees stretched them too far.

“Everyone loves the strip and loves to go there but when the rental was getting up there and you really needed a lot of customers to make ends meet,” Mr Dale said.

“The rent has been corrected a little bit and it needed to head in that direction.”

He was not surprised that the Coffee Club had pulled out following a head-on battle with another restaurant franchise Café 63.

“Fritzenberger is a good thing because that is what people are keen for … it’s a decent destination for lunch and dinner,” he said.

“The strip is still alive and the closures haven’t harmed the consumer experience. It even has a travel agent.”

Fritzenberger’s signature burger and fries. Picture: David Kelly

One of the longest tenants in the Village is Helen Thornton who has been running Enrapt Boutique for 12 of the 18 years it has been in operation.

She pointed out the success of Tomato Brothers, Alcove cafe and end even her own store to show the Village was vibrant and well attended.

Of the businesses owners that had come and gone over the years, many left for personal reasons and not because they went broke.

“The Village is doing really well and there are a lot of success stories, but like any small business it does take a lot of work and people have to be prepared for that,” Ms Thornton.