Sushi Train to close Gold Coast Highway store in Broadbeach and open opposite convention centre

A well-known sushi restaurant chain will close its Broadbeach restaurant and move to a new location.

SUSHI Train will close its Broadbeach restaurant on the Gold Coast Highway and move to a location opposite the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The popular chain, which has stores in three states including NSW and South Australia, has been announced as the first tenant to move to the commercial precinct under the Qube building on the corner of the Gold Coast Highway and Queensland Ave.

Knight Frank’s Tanaka Jabangwe, who negotiated the 10-year lease for Sushi Train with Ray White Commercial’s Kelly Zeckovic, said the deal signalled a continuation of the “resurgence” of the Broadbeach retail precinct, which has struggled with high vacancy rates in recent years.

“The area went through a tumultuous period, but retailers have realised how much the hub has to offer,” he said.

Sushi Train has close to 50 outlets in Australia.

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“We’ve had a consistent level of inquiry from food and beverage retailers in particular, with interstate interest rising when retailers familiarise themselves with the advantages of being situated in Broadbeach.”

The Qube tower, which was developed by Morris Property Group, contains 202 units and opened at the start of last year.

The ground-floor retail space spans more than 600sq m and has been empty since the building opened.

Mr Jabangwe would not reveal the leasing rate for Sushi Train, which has taken on 130sq m, but industry sources said it would be in excess of $750 per square metre.

The first Sushi Train opened in Surfers Paradise in the early 1990s. Picture: JERAD WILLIAMS

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He expects to announce additional tenants for the Qube precinct in the next few weeks.

Sushi Train has commenced its fit-out with a projected opening date of May.

Sushi Train’s Atsushi Kanebako said it has been looking for a new location after 26 years in Broadbeach and found the Qube tenancy ideal being opposite the GCCEC and near a light rail station.

The restaurant chain, where customers pick sushi from a moving conveyor belt, was founded in 1993 by Bob Jones with its first store in Surfers Paradise.

Today it has close to 50 restaurants in Australia and two in New Zealand.