Empire Night Club RNB & Cocktail Lounge Pty Ltd, which operates the Empire nightclub in the heart of the Gold Coast’s Orchid Avenue precinct, has entered voluntary administration, with Christopher Baskerville of Jirsch Sutherland appointed on 17 February 2026.
The appointment follows mounting liabilities that reportedly exceed $2 million, including approximately $580,000 owed to the Australian Taxation Office and a further $1.5 million said to be owed to the company’s sole director. The company had initially engaged restructuring practitioners earlier this year, however the level of debt is understood to have surpassed the statutory $1 million threshold for the small business restructuring regime, prompting the shift to formal voluntary administration.
Founded in 2019, Empire operates as an RNB themed nightclub and cocktail lounge and employs around 15 staff, most on a casual basis. The venue has become a fixture of the Gold Coast nightlife circuit, trading in a competitive hospitality environment that has faced sustained pressure from changing consumer spending patterns and elevated operating costs.
Mr Baskerville said the business would continue to trade during the administration while a restructuring proposal is…