Melbourne institution Stokehouse changes hands as Trader House buys St Kilda icon
St Kilda's Stokehouse has been bought by Trader House, the hospitality group run by chef Andrew McConnell and wife Jo McGann.
The deal sees outgoing owners Frank, Sharon and Hugh van Haandel hand over the beachfront property in October, closing a chapter that began when the Melbourne institution first opened on New Year's Day 1990. The site itself has hosted hospitality venues since 1908, originally as tearooms.
"We've built a venue that is truly cross-generational," Frank van Haandel said.
"Everyone has a story at Stokehouse."
The property comprises the hatted fine-diner upstairs, the more casual Stokehouse Pasta and Bar downstairs, and an outdoor kiosk. Over the decades the venue has drawn high-profile guests including Barack and Michelle Obama, Noel Gallagher and Robert De Niro, and has served as a training ground for chefs such as Michael Lambie and Andrew Blake.
McConnell and McGann have confirmed there will be no major changes to the menu or staffing until a planned refresh in 2027. "Our intention is not to change what makes Stokehouse special," McConnell said. "We have enormous respect for its history and for the team that has helped shape it. We're inheriting strong foundations, and we're committed to investing in its future while preserving the qualities and the people that have made it so well loved."
The acquisition adds an eighth Melbourne venue to Trader House's portfolio and comes as the group also opens Cote Basque in the CBD, its first new Melbourne restaurant since Gimlet launched in 2020. Trader House has held Meatsmith butcher store in nearby Barkly Street since 2017, and has expanded into Queensland with Supernormal Brisbane and Bar Miette.
Industry figures have welcomed the move. Liam Ganley, owner of The Fifth Province and Freddie Wimpole's in St Kilda, called Trader House "the best operators in the state," adding: "It's a good news story for St Kilda." He flagged that trading through winter would be the real test for the new owners.
City of Port Phillip councillor Serge Thomann praised the outgoing operators' "vision, passion and unwavering commitment," while backing McConnell to keep "The Stokes" thriving. Cicciolina co-owner Barb Dight, a longtime St Kilda operator herself, said she was "happy to have another quality operator in St Kilda."
Van Haandel, who rebuilt the restaurant with geothermal cooling and on-site composting after a 2014 fire, said of the property: "It's a building that will stand for 100 years, a legacy I am proud of."
Jonathan Jackson, 30th July 2026
