BRISBANE’S restaurant sector has overheated, with a glut of trendy, mid-range ­venues forcing veterans from the ­industry.

At least five well-established eateries have quietly closed their doors in recent weeks while new venues continue to open at what some now claim is an alarming and unsustainable rate.

Fine-dining restaurants Reserve, at Milton and Ma­leny, both closed up, along with South Bank’s 5th Ele­ment. Up-market West End bar Sling and South Bank’s long-established Era Bistro have also burnt out.

On the flip side, almost 40 new venues opened their doors in the past week or so.

Kieran Reekie, owner and chef of the Reserve restaurants, said a radical change in diner habits, including a shift towards cheaper meals and trendy chains, like the recent influx of burger joints, made his award-winning fine diners unsustainable.

“The younger generation doesn’t want to sit down for dinner,” he said.

“They want to stand in a queue and have a drink and snack here, then go for a burger, and maybe dessert somewhere else.”

media_camera Sling Lounge at West End closed recently. Pic: Adam Smith

He blamed marketing hype and franchises for the closures, saying passion for the food industry was being overtaken by clever spin.

“A franchise business in a complex can be smashed out for $150,000, and can starve out a little Italian trattoria in under a year,” he said.

“You spend your life trying to do something right, only to be wiped out by a sandwich with some hot meat in it.”

The Ghanem Group operate a portfolio of restaurants, including fine diner Black Bird and casual Baba Ganouj, both in the city. They shut their up-market South Bank bar, 5th Element recently, opting instead to open sports bar Lord of the Wings at Carindale shopping centre.

Co-director Nehme Ghanem said the local market had been oversaturating for a few years, with commercial property owners unable to ­attract retail due to increases in online trade, offering good deals for hospitality.

media_camera Reserve at Milton also closed its doors. Pic: Jono Searle

“Bricks-and-mortar retail has been struggling for a while,” he said.

Amelia Taylor, managing director of food marketing business Liquidity, said Brisbane diners had short attention spans.

“Sometimes the people who close have the best food and the best service. But they get forgot,” she said.

“Everyone wants to be an A-list celebrity, and going to the new thing is really important. New venues are opening every week, and it’s causing issues.”