Future Brisbane: How city can dine out on a radical change to eating out

A bold shift is needed to revolutionise Brisbane’s dining scene and ensure we can call ourselves a true global city, industry experts say.

“Build it and they will come” is the bold approach some of our top hospitality gurus say is necessary to generate late-night dining in Brisbane and become a truly global city.

While the rest of the world has traditionally embraced eating out late, Queenslanders love nothing more than a dinner reservation between 5pm and 7.30pm. OpenTable figures show 5pm bookings had the biggest increase from last year, with 6pm the most sought-after timeslot.

But as the 2032 Olympics approach and more people move to the capital from interstate, things need to change, industry experts say, and it needs to start from within.

Leading local hospitality group Anyday offers late-night dining at its coveted Fortitude Valley venues Same Same, Honto, Bianca and Australian Restaurant of the Year Agnes, but co-owner Ty Simon said more establishments would need to get on board to change the culture in Queensland.

General Manager of 'Libertine Bar and Restaurant' at The Barracks, Merri Veiram. Picture: Richard Walker

“I think if the population growth continues on its trajectory, you’re going to have more and more people who have a bigger appetite for eating later rather than earlier … you can already see it on the weekends,” he said.

“But it’s going to have to start with someone taking a bold risk and saying, last orders at midnight and then just planting your flag and letting everyone know that we can be relied upon for an amazing midnight meal or supper.”

But Mr Simon said that for many venues it was simply too big of a financial risk to take in these financially challenging times, with wages, food costs and power bills on the rise.

“This year has presented massive challenges for hospitality, particularly the smaller operators and they are in a vulnerable position and they’re just doing everything they can to survive,” he said. Mr Simon said tourism would be another key driver of late-night dining, with visitors expecting venues to stay open late.

Celebrity chef Ben O’Donoghue, from soon-to-open Brisbane restaurant Establishment 203, agreed that tourism would help but said he believed it was about changing the dining out culture among locals.

“You need … locals too, because tourists come in peaks and troughs and as a business you need consistency,” he said.

“I think as operators you just need to stay open a little longer and just commit to it and hopefully people will come along. And population has a lot to do with it. I think once we hit 4.5 million in Brisbane then you’ll find lots of places open late.”

Andrew Baturo and Gee Temizkan at Tillerman, Eagle Street, Brisbane. Picture: Richard Walker

Brisbane hospitality guru Andrew Baturo, behind venues such as Tillerman, Libertine, The Gresham, Walters and Popolo, believed daylight saving would be a big help as people would be more inclined to dine later when it was still light outside. He also said having a vibrant, safe late-night culture would boost trade, and called for the removal of ID scanners and lockout laws, as well as increased police presence in entertainment precincts.

“The ID scanner laws remain an area that tourists and visitors are surprised and confused by,” he said.

“Often times mature guests to our cities will attempt to enter licensed venues after 10pm and be refused entry only because they are not carrying specific or local identification with them. For Brisbane to be considered a world-class city, it is policies like this that will undoubtedly disadvantage our ability to do just that.”

Mr Baturo said lockout laws forced hordes of people on to the streets at the same time, which caused chaos as people tried to find transport home.

“Twenty-four-hour licences would alleviate the pressure on infrastructure and transport and, most importantly, venue-goers could get transport home quickly and safely,” he said.

“A commitment to increased police presence and patrolling and designated safe areas would provide confidence for the public to enjoy themselves and deter troublemakers.”