A dispute has emerged between Bayside Council and the family behind Le Sands restaurant following the venue’s sudden closure in March, with both parties blaming each other for the breakdown of a 40-year relationship.
The Antonopoulos family, who operated the Brighton Le Sands restaurant for more than four decades, closed the business and posted a notice citing their substantial financial investment in the property.
“Our family has invested a minimum of $8 million in this building and created a landmark asset that basically belongs to Bayside Council/NSW Government, and we pay rent close to $800,000 per year for this building,” the notice read.
The family added that the council “does not make any contribution to any outgoings or maintenance of this building,” and promised patrons a fuller explanation of the circumstances surrounding the closure.
A significant community asset
However, Bayside Council has painted a different picture, releasing a statement that acknowledged the Antonopoulos family’s dedication while outlining a history of lease breaches and unpaid debts.
According to the council, the lease arrangement allowed the family to keep all rental income from sub-tenants they had installed in the majority of the space, but this came with maintenance responsibilities for the building.
“Council had worked with the Antonopoulos family over many years to resolve recurrent breaches of the Lease agreement,” the statement read.
The council said a Settlement Deed was negotiated earlier this year, but was breached by the family shortly after signing. The council claims it is owed more than $100,000 in outstanding payments.
The council ended the lease arrangement and says it now faces a substantial repair bill for the Brighton Pavilion building, which it describes as “a significant community asset.”
According to the council’s assessment, the building requires multi-million dollar repairs, with $1.5 million in work already completed or underway. This includes roof repairs, removal of more than 500kg of bird and animal waste from gutters, terrace upgrades, emergency plumbing repairs, and extensive cleaning.
The council specifically addressed recent media reports about building defects, stating that many issues stem from “the lack of ongoing maintenance, which was the responsibility of the former tenant.” It noted that plumbing problems in the Le Sands kitchen resulted from non-compliant work overseen by the Antonopoulos family.
Council officials said they are now working to determine how to refresh and reactivate the pavilion for the local community, with details to be shared with residents as the project progresses.
The closure marks the end of an era for the beachside dining destination, which had been a fixture of Brighton Le Sands for generations.
