Gold Coast restaurant closures: The biggest and most surprising eatery closures

The Gold Coast has said goodbye to some incredible restaurants From a Greek dining destination to weird and wonderful desserts, we list 12 of the most shocking recent restaurant closures.

THE Gold Coast has said a reluctant goodbye to some incredible restaurants. From a Greek dining destination to weird and wonderful desserts, here are 12 surprise closures in recent months.

HELLENIKA

Hellenika owner Simon Gloftis sold Hellenika at Nobby Beach to concentrate on his two Brisbane restaurants. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

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It’s the restaurant that was credited with changing the Gold Coast dining scene and reviving Nobby Beach into an uber-trendy hospitality hotspot, but in November restaurateur Simon Gloftis closed the doors to Hellenika.

The two-storey venue was open for 10 years and served exquisite Greek dishes, the food of Simon’s motherland.

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Octopus at Hellenika, one of the restaurant’s most popular meals. Picture Glenn Hampson

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Shortly after breaking away from sophisticated rooftop restaurant and bar Nineteen at The Star Gold Coast, Gloftis announced he was also moving on from Hellenika, stating he wanted to focus on ventures in Brisbane, including his second Hellenika venue at The Calile Hotel.

The venue was bought by the team behind popular pizza restaurant Justin Lane and reopened as Loki.

NIGHTQUARTER

NightQuarter closed in January this year.

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Less of a restaurant and more of a dining and entertainment precinct, NightQuarter left a void in the food market scene when it closed early in 2019.

Owners Michelle Christoe and Ian Van der Woude cited expensive rent as the reason behind the closure, stating the landowners wanted to double the lease in a new five-year deal.

The owners have relocated NightQuarter to the Sunshine Coast and will reopen in the new spot early this year.

THE LC

I can’t believe it’s not meat! The LC Miami’s loaded fries and the Big BVK from BVK (Burgers Vs Kebabs). Picture: Jerad Williams

The plant-based community was thrilled when Australia’s first vegan collective marketplace opened in Miami in May 2017, a mix of eateries and a bar serving cruelty-free food made to taste like the real thing.

After four vendors left the site in April, the entire LC space closed a few months later.

Mystery surrounds the closure of the Gold Coast Highway venue, which is still vacant.

INFINITE DESSERT BAR

Infinite Dessert Bar at Palm Beach’s Mist in the Woods dessert. Picture: Jerad Williams

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There was a lot of hype surrounding the opening of Infinite Dessert Bar. However, after less than three months of operation the Palm Beach restaurant closed its doors.

Co-owner Kye Sheehan promised a dining experience unlike any other, with a menu of wild treats and concoction of cocktails crafted by a Zumbo-trained chef.

The restaurant closed in late December 2018 with the owners insisting they were just “renovating”. However, the site never reopened.

KING CRAB CO

King Crab Co at Marina Mirage.

The Gold Coast netted an American-style seafood restaurant in December last year when King Crab Co opened at Marina Mirage.

Bibs and fingers were encouraged to tackle the variety of crab that was cooked by being boiled in a bag, Louisiana-style.

In October it was revealed that the company Seaside Dining Group, which traded as King Crab Co, had gone into liquidation.

BURLEIGH SOCIAL

Burleigh Social was a popular breakfast spot. Photo: Jerad Williams

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One of the Gold Coast’s most popular brunch spots mysteriously closed last January(((2019))), with the owners announcing its conclusion via an Instagram post.

Burleigh Social started in 2014 and quickly became a hit with locals, so much so that the cafe became involved in a dispute with council over spillover parking issues and extended trading hours.

The cafe reopened as Burleigh Co-op, owned by prominent chef Denis Duncanson, but it has closed.

LOCAL AND CO

Local & Co staff member Emma Stewart tucks into a Crushed Avo Croissant at the Main Beach Cafe. Picture Glenn Hampson

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Smashed avo on a croissant was this cafe’s game-changing breakfast dish but it was not enough to save the Tedder Ave venue from going into liquidation.

Local and Co opened in 2016 and launched the modern French pastry meal as its signature item.

The cafe on the notorious Main Beach strip was placed into voluntary liquidation by the owners last month.

SAN SEBASTIAN

San Sebastian, Palm Beach.

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This Spanish restaurant introduced the Gold Coast to pintxos, a Basque-inspired bar snack not to be confused with tapas.

San Sebastian was a sophisticated-yet-relaxed Mediterranean eatery in Palm Beach, popular with foodies and families for its casual seaside dining.

The restaurant closed with no warning in July.

NERO DINING

Jayden Barker was awarded a prestigious Chef’s Hat for his work at Nero Dining. Photo by Richard Gosling

Owned by father and son team Andrew and Jayden Barker, Nero Dining was a classy restaurant in Broadbeach that earned accolades for its experimental share plates and warm service.

Andrew’s young son was given full responsibility of the kitchen, going on to earn the restaurant a Chef’s Hat in 2017.

Andrew opened a second venue Frederick’s in Nobby Beach in December 2018. However both venues closed last year. Andrew said he was not available for comment at the time of print.

CHEVRON SOCIAL

Chevron Social Eatery has closed its doors. Picture Glenn Hampson

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Chevron Social was the latest cafe to close in the Chevron Island business strip.

The cafe was owned by Cheryl Bench and closed in November with no explanation. Ms Bench’s mini empire of food outlets on the Gold Coast has been slimming down with cafes Daily Squeeze closed and Taste up for sale, both in Chirn Park.

BOOM BOOM BURGERS

Boom Boom Burgers on Chevron Island combined fine-dining techniques with burgers. The smoking hot signature dish — smoked 150 day old aged beef, mushrooms, cucumber, spinach, cheddar and secret sauce Pic by David Clark

Boom Boom Burgers launched in 2015 by Meyjitte Boughenout, a twice-awarded Michelin star chef who previously ran fine-dining outfit Absynthe Restaurant in Q1.

The gourmet burger bar closed in June, with the owner announcing he would not be renewing the lease at the Chevron Island dining strip.

THAT ITALIAN PLACE

That Italian Place owner and chef Antonino Ieracitano holding calamari. Picture Jerad Williams

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It took less than two years for this popular Italian eatery to sink into liquidation, closing with debts of up to $130,000.

The Chevron Island restaurant was owned by Antonino Ieracitano, known as Nino, and partner Belinda Lane who returned to the Gold Coast in 2017 to open the third version of That Italian Place, following its predecessors in Griffith and Mermaid Beach.

The restaurant ceased trade in May.

FuFu

American Chinese diner FuFu at Mermaid Beach.

FuFu was a playful American-Chinese diner that opened in March 2018 from restaurateur Morgan Walsh. Its quirky pastel fit-out in the round restaurant space made it an icon in Mermaid Beach and easy to spot off the Gold Coast Hwy. The restaurant underwent a refurbishment in June, however closed less than five months later. Calls to Ms Walsh went unanswered.