The LC Miami’s vegan collective space loses four tenants

Four key restaurants that made up a vegan collective eatery on the Gold Coast have vacated less than 12 months after its launch — leaving just one outlet trading.

FOUR key restaurants that made up a vegan collective eatery on the Gold Coast have vacated less than 12 months after its launch.

The businesses, which included Flour of Life Bakery, I Like Ramen, Flora by Greenhouse and By Gigi pizzeria, are understood to have left The LC Miami due to “various, unforeseen pressures and circumstances.”

Inside The LC Miami. Picture: Jerad Williams

Popular bakery Flour of Life, which still operates its successful Helensvale store, left in November 2018, posting to its Facebook page and hinting of legal matters.

“An explanation for this closure is owed to each of our valued customers and supporters, however due to legal reasons, unfortunately the details of this explanation will have to wait until the legal matters are resolved,” the post read.

By Gigi, a spin-off from a trendy plant-based Sydney-based pizzeria, closed in December last year and returned to NSW.

I Like Ramen posted to Facebook on March 20 to say the Miami shop had closed, while its Brisbane shop was still trading.

Flora by Greenhouse shut up shop two weeks ago and also continues to operate its Coast and Brisbane stores.

By Gigi used to make vegan pizza. Picture: Jerad Williams

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Just one restaurant run by the venue’s landlord, Abbey Jones, called BVK (Burgers v Kebabs) remains open, alongside its bar.

It is unknown whether the empty tenancies will be replaced.

The plant-based venue, originally billed as a “casual, high-end food and shopping experience” opened at Miami in May 2018.

It’s understood the top space in the building was to be used as retail space. Picture: Jerad Williams

The two-storey building was to house a retail space on the second level, bringing the total space to 1000 sqm, however this did not eventuate.

At the time, the retail space was pegged to open a few weeks after its launch.

Former tenants, who declined to be named, would only say they were disappointed they had to leave.

The LC Miami outside area. Picture: Jerad Williams

One business owner said: “We’re disappointed … the final option was to go.”

Another former tenant said: “Everybody is in the same boat … vacating the premises was paramount. But we’d like to thank everyone for their support.”

Despite multiple attempts, venue founder Ms Jones declined to comment.

On a local vegan Facebook page, users said they were under the impression it would operate as a “vegan version” of the popular Miami Marketta, “in the sense that there would be little stalls (and) cute shops too, and thus more activities to bring customers in, but this never ended up happening … Not sure if this might have anything to do with the shops that closed.”

Other users said they were “sad” the restaurants had left the collective, but said it seemed to be “disorganised.”

Others suggested rent and overheads were too expensive.