Brisbane hipster restaurant Nota to close its doors after five years – as hospitality industry is crunched by cost-of-living crisis
A popular restaurant has announced it will close after five years, joining restaurants across the country feel the pinch of cost of living pressures on Australians.
The modern European restaurant and wine bar NOTA in Paddington BrisbaneThe Inner West will close on August 3.
Chefs and co-owners Sebastiaan de Kort and Kevin Docherty said the decision to close the restaurant was quite an easy one, especially as the lease expires.
The restaurant opened in March 2019, with Mr de Kort and Mr Docherty taking over the historic storefront that housed French restaurant Montrachet.
NOTA quickly became very popular with locals, with a menu of European-inspired dishes and an extensive wine list.
The closure of NOTA gives Mr de Kort and Mr Docherty the opportunity to take their team to their second restaurant Allonda in Newstead in Brisbane’s north, co-owned by sommelier Yanika Sittisuntorn.
NOTA chefs and co-owners Kevin Docherty (pictured left) and Sebastiaan de Kort (pictured right) have announced that the popular restaurant will close on August 3
NOTA was famous for its menu of European-inspired dishes and an extensive wine list
NOTA announced the closure on their website and invited customers to say goodbye in the coming weeks
During the pandemic, Mr de Kort and Mr Docherty, like many other restaurants, focused on pastries and takeaway.
This gave rise to the artisanal candy store Arty’s, which is still active.
In mid-2022, they expanded NOTA by taking over a neighboring lease before opening Allonda later in the year.
Mr De Kort told the Courier mail NOTA would not have been successful without the loyal support of the Paddington community.
“We are excited about what the future holds, both for us and for the space we leave behind,” said Mr. De Kort.
NOTA announced the closure on their websitewhere customers are invited to say goodbye.
‘Join us over the next 8 weeks as we bring back some of our beloved classic dishes and say goodbye to the crew.
‘We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We hope to welcome you again.’
Mr De Kort acknowledges the impact of Australia’s sluggish economy on the hospitality sector and says it makes sense to consolidate.
He told the Brisbane times, ‘The industry has changed. Spending has changed. People are working really hard for their money at the moment, so you have to make sure you tick all the boxes.”
“But I think there’s still a lot of positivity. It’s been a tough twelve months, but the next twelve will get better. It’s cyclical.’
The closure of NOTA in Brisbane comes after a hospitality company that operated a string of popular cafes and bakeries in the city went into administration last month.
BCN Events Group went into voluntary bankruptcy, with reportedly 90 employees let go.
The company is owned by award-winning chef Shannon Kellam and had seven locations that closed.
Mr Kellam also owns the French gourmet restaurant Montrachet, which used to be on the NOTA site.
Montrachet is not affected by the liquidation.
