Iconic coast restaurant reopening delayed until next year

The Sunshine Coast’s iconic restaurant has revealed its opening date and mega repair bill after an attacker went on a rampage.

Acclaimed Sunshine Coast restaurant Spirit House will remain closed until January after a devastating break-in in late August destroyed much of the business.

The popular Thai restaurant at Yandina was attacked by a 43-year-old man, who smashed bottles of wine, computers, airconditioning units, electricals, windows and left the entire place blanketed in fire extinguisher foam in an alleged drug-fuelled, unprovoked episode.

The damage caused by a 43-year-old man to the Spirit House kitchen in Yandina.

He was arrested by police, but owner Acland Briertysays it will cost the business $1.2m to repair, including the shutdown time needed to fix the place.

Brierty says his insurance company had been incredible, taking care of everything. But the venue faces extensive hold-ups as the restaurant’s stoves and fridges need to be hand made by a company in New Zealand before being flown over.

For the moment, the cooking school and on-site store are open, with the site’s bar also now available for private bookings.

The popular restaurant back in 2019. Picture: David Clark

Brierty says the restaurant will use the downtime to create some exciting new dishes for the set offering, with plans to introduce a few menu items that hark back to Thailand’s history but reimagined in a contemporary way.

“It’s a new chapter and that’s how we’re approaching it,” he says.

“This place does mean a lot to people and we’re like, ‘Let’s get another 25 years out of the old girl.”

The venue aims to reopen on January 5.