Company behind Noosa cocktail bar, Little Sister, brings in liquidators

A popular Noosa cocktail bar has become the latest hospitality venue to fold in the region after accruing hundreds-of-thousands of dollars in legacy tax debt.

The bar, Little Sister, was located at 18 Hastings St, Noosa.

A popular Noosa venue has permanently closed its doors and brought in liquidators after accumulating more than $300,000 in Australian Taxation Office legacy debts, it has been revealed.

The company, Lit Sis Pty Ltd, which operated the Hastings St cocktail bar Little Sister appointed liquidator Paul Nogueira and voluntarily wound the company up on May 16, 2024.

Little Sister, which was located in unit 28B at 18 Hastings St, first opened at the end of 2019 in Noosa Junction, according to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission documents.

The ASIC documents reveal the company was founded by John Curtiss, who remained the director and secretary up until the company wound up.

Financial documents supplied by Mr Curtiss to ASIC state the company made approximately $5,000 net profit in the last financial year.

Bar staff enjoying happier times at Little Sister, Noosa. Photo: Instagram

Mr Nogueira said approximately $300,000 was owed to the ATO by Lit Sis, mostly in the form of accrued debt.

“A majority of that debt is to the ATO, there are some other creditors, but they are the main creditor at this stage,” Mr Nogueira said.

Mr Nogueira said the company’s director described a number of economic factors and a downturn in trading as the main factors behind the liquidation.

“The director has indicated there have been continuing trading losses and a downturn in the economy,” Mr Nogueira said.

Company behind the bar Little Sister, Noosa appoints liquidators.

Mr Nogueira said the collapse of the bar follows a series of hospitality businesses going under in the region due to large ATO debts, which accrued over Covid.

“The ATO debt is a fair bit of legacy debt and there are Covid problems in there as well,” Mr Nogueira said.

“Pretty much with all the hospitality businesses that are closing down at the moment it is to do with the slowdown that has come through not allowing them to keep up with the legacy debts that they accumulated during Covid.”

Mr Curtiss has been contacted for comment.