Brooklyn Depot Hamilton closes due to COVID-19 staffing issues

A popular Brisbane burger chain has been dealt a blow with the closure of one of its four stores. Now, its owner shares why.

The boss of a beloved burger chain which has closed its restaurant at Hamilton’s troubled Racecourse Rd, once Brisbane’s undisputed high street, has revealed why it has gone after only 11 months.

Danny Sibillo, owner of Brooklyn Depot burger restaurants at South Bank, Stones Corner and Fortitude Valley, said the Hamilton outlet closed for good about a fortnight ago,

Billed as a smaller-format ‘Express’ store, the decision was made to close at the end of last month.

Mr Sibillo said Hamilton was its poorest performing store, with problems staffing all four venues.

Brooklyn Depot Hamilton is no more. Picture: Facebook

He said his restaurants were already operating at reduced capacity because he could not fill positions.

He expected the problem to get worse when extra Covid restrictions came into effect on December 17 for unvaccinated people.

“We are going to be losing 30 to 40 per cent of our staff,” Mr Sibillo said.

From December 17, unvaccinated Queenslanders will be unable to attend hospitality venues, a restriction which includes employees.

Brooklyn Depot owner Danny Sibillo. Picture: Alex Treacy

Mr Sibillo said travel restrictions into Australia had meant the steady stream of international students and backpackers, who would ordinarily wait on tables and flip burgers, had slowed to a trickle.

The closure of the Hamilton store, which opened in December last year, has allowed Mr Sibillo to redeploy staff to his other venues.

Mr Sibillo said a family-owned cafe/coffee shop had taken over his lease.

That was a relief for other Racecourse Rd traders who were forced to confront a street with one-third of all tenancies vacant.