Mt Coot-tha staff remain in dark as Brisbane City Council works to finalise new lease

More than two months after Mantle Group’s Jimmy’s on the Mall won a 20-year council lease to run Mt Coot-tha’s restaurant and cafe, workers remain in the dark over their futures, leaving many looking for new jobs.

WHEN the 85 workers at historic tourist hotspot Mt Coot-tha learned in the lead up to Christmas a new operator would take over, hopes were high they might be kept on.

Mantle Group, which covers the Pig ‘N’ Whistle pubs and 80s-era outdoor dining fixture Jimmy’s on the Mall, had just won a coveted 20-year council lease to run Mt Coot-tha’s restaurant and cafe.

Staff at the Mt Coot-tha restaurant and cafe remain in limbo with Brisbane City Council still working to finalise a new lease for the venues before the current lease expires on February 7. Picture: John Gass

It would replace the current operator of The Summit restaurant and Kuta Café after 38 years of running the venues and overseeing an upgrade of the restaurant back in the 1990s.

But more than two months on, hopes the new owners may keep staff on have evaporated, leaving staff searching for new jobs, says the property’s maintenance manager Brenton Roachock.

“I feel for the long-time, full-time staff there,” Mr Roachock said.

“It’s a very harmonious place to work. Everyone was very happy,” he said.

“When (the current operator) lost the tender we were all sort of waiting (thinking) the new owners are coming in and surely they are going to need us. But no.

“No-one knows anything and it’s a couple of weeks to go and still we are in the dark as to what’s happening.”

The current operators lease will expire on February 7.

The new lease for the Mt Coot-tha venues was awarded to Mantle Group’s Jimmy's in the Mall. Pictured is Mantle Group managing director Godfrey Mantle.

Brisbane City Council confirmed yesterday that the new lease awarded to Mantle Group’s Jimmy’s on the Mall was still being finalised.

It is understood recent attempts by the existing operators to contact Mantle Group to discuss a transition have been unsuccessful.

One of the three existing leaseholders, James Heron, had tendered for the new lease, but was outranked by Mantle Group, which offered a total $1 million a year rent to council.

It has also promised a revamp the cafe at no cost to council, according to council’s report.