Little Provence, a French restaurant in Brisbane's CBD, has closed suddenly, with its final service on Friday night hours after the decision was announced on social media. Chef-patron Romain Maunier said he decided to close on Thursday night after a late disagreement with the building's landlord over terms for a new lease.
Maunier, who also owns Spring Hill's La Cache a Vin, said what he understood was agreed in a letter of intent and then via text was not reflected in the final lease agreement.
"That had been quite a long process to get even to the letter of intent," he said. "Then there was some back and forth that there was not meant to be, to the point where I had to make a decision, and I didn't want to be put under pressure. So that's why on Thursday night, with the agreement obviously of my wife [Kat Maunier, who runs the restaurant with Romain] and talking to my solicitor, we decided not to go ahead."
Little Provence had spent just over a year in the heritage-listed 336 George Street space, previously occupied by Pneuma and, before that, Greenglass. The dining room, with original timber floors and arched windows, is one of the most distinctive in the city.
Maunier's remarks referred to a legal dispute over the space between restaurateurs Dan Arnold and Cameron Votan. According to documents filed in the Brisbane District Court, Arnold failed to pay an agreed-upon amount when taking over the lease.
"I wanted first of all to know if I could have the lease before trying to solve an issue around that, and at the end of the day I didn't get the lease, so it's a problem less for me to solve," Maunier said.
He described the space as amazing but noted that old buildings sometimes bring last-minute repairs. He said he and his wife were happy with the way the restaurant was going, drawing lawyers, barristers, locals and special-occasion diners, and that it felt like a slice of home: he is from Provence, and he shared recipes from his mother and grandmother.
Maunier said he intends to reopen Little Provence, but only if the right opportunity presents itself. He would not take it back to the suburbs, where the restaurant first opened in Eatons Hill, because it needs to be easy to move between there and La Cache a Vin.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The closure leaves a heritage-listed, distinctive dining room in Brisbane's CBD empty after only just over a year of trading.
- It follows a lease dispute that Maunier says was the immediate trigger, underscoring how fragile restaurant tenancies can be when lease negotiations break down.
- Diners who had embraced the restaurant lose a venue, while Maunier's second restaurant, La Cache a Vin, continues to operate.
Background
Little Provence first opened in Eatons Hill before moving to 336 George Street in Brisbane's CBD, a heritage-listed building whose dining room is known for its timber floors and arched windows. The site previously housed Pneuma and Greenglass, and has been tied up in a legal dispute between earlier tenant restaurateurs over the lease. The restaurant had been in the space just over a year when the lease talks fell apart.
What to Watch
- Whether Maunier finds a new Brisbane CBD site for Little Provence; he has said he will only reopen if the right opportunity arises.
- What happens to the 336 George Street space, which Maunier says could be redeveloped into something else.
- Whether the earlier lease dispute between Dan Arnold and Cameron Votan produces further court action over the premises.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedLittle Provence, a French restaurant in Brisbane’s CBD, closed suddenly after a disagreement over a new lease.The Age - Latest News: “Little Provence has closed suddenly, with the Brisbane CBD restaurant’s final service on Friday night just hours after the decision was announced on social media.”
- SupportedMaunier said terms he understood had been agreed in a letter of intent and by text were not reflected in the final lease agreement.The Age - Latest News: “He said what he understood was agreed in a letter of intent and then via text was not reflected in the final lease agreement.”
- SupportedLittle Provence’s final service was on Friday night, hours after the closure decision was announced on social media.The Age - Latest News: “Little Provence has closed suddenly, with the Brisbane CBD restaurant’s final service on Friday night just hours after the decision was announced on social media.”
- SupportedMaunier said he decided to close on Thursday night after a late disagreement with the landlord over new-lease terms.The Age - Latest News: “said he decided to close on Thursday night after a late disagreement with the building’s landlord on terms for a new lease.”
- SupportedMaunier said, “That had been quite a long process to get even to the letter of intent.”The Age - Latest News: ““That had been quite a long process to get even to the letter of intent,” Maunier said.”
- SupportedMaunier’s quoted account says he and his wife decided not to proceed on Thursday night after he spoke with his solicitor.The Age - Latest News: ““So that’s why on Thursday night, with the agreement obviously of my wife [Kat Maunier, who runs the restaurant with Romain] and talking to my solicitor, we decided not to go ahead.””
- SupportedLittle Provence spent just over a year in the heritage-listed 336 George Street space, previously occupied by Pneuma and Greenglass.The Age - Latest News: “It means Little Provence spent just over a year in the heritage-listed 336 George Street space previously occupied by Pneuma, which Arnold co-owned with Matt Blackwell, and before that Votan’s Greenglass.”
- SupportedThe story says Maunier’s remarks referred to a legal dispute between Dan Arnold and Cameron Votan, and that court documents said Arnold failed to pay an agreed amount when taking over the lease.The Age - Latest News: “His remarks were a reference to a legal dispute over the space between restaurateurs Dan Arnold and Cameron Votan. According to documents filed in the Brisbane District Court, Arnold failed to pay an agreed-upon amount when taking over the lease.”
- SupportedMaunier said, “I wanted first of all to know if I could have the lease before trying to solve an issue around that, and at the end of the day I didn’t get the lease, so it’s a problem less for me to solve.”The Age - Latest News: ““I wanted first of all to know if I could have the lease before trying to solve an issue around that, and at the end of the day I didn’t get the lease, so it’s a problem less for me to solve.””
- SupportedMaunier said the old building sometimes required last-minute repairs.The Age - Latest News: ““It’s an old building and obviously what comes with old buildings is sometimes last-minute repair and things like this”
- SupportedMaunier said he and his wife were happy with how the restaurant was going and that it felt like a slice of home, with recipes from his mother and grandmother.The Age - Latest News: ““[Kat] and I were very happy with the way things were going. It felt like a slice of home – I am from Provence. I won’t say it’s emotional, but it was great to share some of my childhood and the recipes from my mum and grandma”
- SupportedMaunier said they intend to reopen Little Provence only if the right opportunity arises, and would not take it back to the suburbs because it needs to be easy to travel between it and La Cache a Vin.The Age - Latest News: “Maunier says they are intending to reopen the restaurant, but only if the right opportunity present itself. “I think it can be redeveloped into something else but I wouldn’t take it back to the suburbs [Little Provence first opened in Eatons Hill], just because of that proximity to La Cache a Vin – it needs to be easy for me to go from one restaurant to the other.””