Several hospitality venues along Sandgate Road in Albion have closed or changed hands, with some premises left set up and vacant.
Tables Set, Doors Closed
Big Belly, on Sandgate Road in Albion, closed without warning just before Christmas, with indoor tables still set and the menu left displayed at the entrance.
Further along the strip, Little Lamb Albion remained closed more than a year after shutting, with items including glassware, fridges and an EFTPOS machine still visible inside.
More Closures Across The Precinct
Vaquero Dining, a Spanish restaurant located nearby, closed in October 2025 despite strong reviews. Nutmeg Indian Cuisine also closed in 2023, adding to a run of hospitality turnover along the strip.
Tenancies Shifting And Leases Ending
A wine bar beside Olive & Thyme changed operators a few weeks before the report, after the previous owner exited.
Nearby on Collingwood Street, Brewtide Brewery announced in September it would not renew its lease after four years of trading.
Costs, Competition And Capacity
A long-running local operator cited ongoing increases in rent, interest rates, produce costs and wages as continuing pressures since the pandemic period.
Retail analysis referenced in the reporting suggested the Sandgate Road strip may only be able to support a limited number of restaurants, particularly where long-established venues have remained in place for decades.
What People Are Saying
Some community responses focused on affordability and the number of venues competing in the same area, while others clarified the closures related to Albion, not similarly named venues operating in other suburbs.
What Happens Next
Vacant shopfronts were visible along the Sandgate Road strip at the time of the walk-through, with several spaces advertised for lease, indicating further change may still be underway.
Published 20-Jan-2026
