NightQuarter vendors speak as owners reveal new Brisbane pub venture

Vendors at the now-collapsed NightQuarter precinct claim they have been blindsided by the live music venue’s closure as the former owners reveal their stunning new venture.

NightQuarter owners Ian Van der Woude and Michelle Christoe closed the venue in November 2022. Picture Lachie Millard

The owners of now-defunct Sunshine Coast entertainment mecca NightQuarter have unveiled their next venture – a newly renovated historic North Brisbane pub.

Australian Securities and Investments Commission documents show Ian Van der Woude and Michelle Christoe became directors of Sandgate Taphouse Pty Ltd on April 21.

The couple had been operators of the popular Birtinya live music venue NightQuarter until November 28 when the venue suddenly shut its doors.

The pair cited multiple setbacks due to Covid-19 restrictions and poor crowd numbers as reasons for the closure of the award-winning Sunshine Coast venue.

At the time, the owners stated that they had been

devastated by the decision and had lost their house as a result.

Several former NightQuarter vendors told the Sunshine Coast Daily of their surprise, claiming they were blindsided by the closure after the parent company Food Focus Australia Pty Ltd entered voluntary liquidation on November 28.

In early-December Ms Christoe confirmed her husband, Mr Van der Woude, and other stakeholders had “recently renovated a historical hotel in Sandgate” which was originally built in 1887 as the third post office in Queensland.

“Our group are in the business of pubs and hotels. We also have Malt Shovel Taphouse,” Ms Christoe said.

NightQuarter owners Ian Van der Woude and Michelle Christoe watch on.

The Sandgate Post Office Hotel Facebook page states the reinvigorated venue reopened on November 11 to much fanfare with a classy fit-out and high quality menu.

But several vendors at the closed down NightQuarter are claiming they were left in the lurch in terms of recovering their stock and rental bond.

These claims have been labelled as “not true” by Ms Christoe.

The first report to creditors showed the directors of NightQuarter initially made contact with SV Partners, the insolvency firm handling the liquidation, on September 27.

A spokesman for SV Partners said they were not in a position to comment while investigations were ongoing.

“Nor do they wish to prejudice the sale of the Malt Shovel Taphouse Sunshine Coast or the expression of interest campaign for the sale of NightQuarter,” he said.

Initial Australian Securities and Investments Commission documents state Food Focus Australia owed money, goods or services to suppliers, landlords, the Australian Taxation Office, government bodies, banks and annual leave and superannuation to staff, although the amounts were yet to be released.

Summer Beach Fashion and Homewares stallholder Amanda Hay said they were “blindsided 100 per cent” by the NightQuarter closure.

“We were having a Christmas market. We all bought a lot of stock for it, for Christmas,” she said.

Ms Hay said she spent around $5000 on Christmas stock that she claims she wasn’t able to access for a week.

In The Moment Scents owner Colleen Lacey said the closure had come without warning.

“I’m devastated. It was my only income. And I had no warning. It’s been an utter nightmare,” she said.

Ms Christoe confirmed that the NightQuarter business was in administration “to tidy up the assets and affairs” but said it was “not true” that stallholders were kept in the dark about the closure.

“The administrators are still working through how we best deal with NightQuarter assets,” she said.

She said they had spent significant time working with stallholders and other stakeholders since the closure.

Nightquarter opened in 2020 during the pandemic at Birtinya on Stockland-owned land next to Stockland Birtinya Shopping Centre.

Ms Christoe and Mr Van der Woude opened the first Nightquarter in the Gold Coast but that venue was closed down in 2019.