As a young chef, Andrew McConnell used to work for the family that owns Stokehouse. Now he’s buying their restaurant.
Updated July 29, 2026,first published 10:25am
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Stokehouse, the 36-year-old jewel of St Kilda and perhaps the suburb’s best known restaurant, has been sold to Trader House, the restaurant group owned by one of Melbourne’s most well-known chefs, Andrew McConnell and his wife Jo McGann.
Outgoing owners and operators Frank, Sharon and Hugh van Haandel will hand the property over in October.
“We’ve built a venue that is truly cross-generational,” says Frank van Haandel. “Everyone has a story at Stokehouse.”
The upstairs dining room boasts bay views.
Those who could tell some of those stories include famous customers over the decades such as Barack and Michelle Obama (and their security detail), Noel Gallagher of Oasis, Robert De Niro and Paris Hilton. MotoGP ace Valentino Rossi turned up in a tracksuit, defying the first floor dress code.
The kitchen has been a forging ground for some of Melbourne’s most prominent chefs, including Asian-influenced Michael Lambie (now at Juni), mod-Oz originator Andrew Blake and seafood gun Maurice Esposito.
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Andrew McConnell and Jo McGann of Trader House, who have added Stokehouse to their portfolio.Josh Robenstone
Current executive chef Jason Staudt is originally from Canada; he moved from Sydney’s Aria in 2019, seeing the restaurant through the pandemic with a focus on sustainability, employing locals and steering the downstairs area from a hard-drinking party zone to more of a wine-focused local lounge room.
McConnell and McGann are not planning wholesale shuffles to menus or personnel until a 2027 refresh. They’re in the midst of opening Cote Basque, their first Melbourne restaurant since 2020’s smash hit Gimlet, both in the CBD.
“Our intention is not to change what makes Stokehouse special,” says McConnell. “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 property includes the hatted fine dining restaurant upstairs, casual dining downstairs at Stokehouse Pasta and Bar, and an outdoor kiosk that’s been through several iterations.
‘When he sets up a restaurant, he is very convincing with it.’
Frank Van Haandel speaking of Andrew McConnell in 2018.
Liam Ganley owns large venues The Fifth Province and Freddie Wimpole’s in St Kilda. “I think it’s amazing,” he says of the new deal. “They [Trader House] are the best operators in the state. It’s a good news story for St Kilda.”
It’s a strong move for Trader House, which is in expansion mode in a tough economy, perhaps showing that the future of restaurants is in consolidation and group buying power. As well as its seven Melbourne venues, it also has a footprint in Queensland, having opened Supernormal Brisbane and Bar Miette in 2024.
The sun sets on Stokehouse’s current chapter in October.Arianna Leggiero
Andrew McConnell has a long attachment to St Kilda. He was head chef at Circa The Prince in the mid-2000s, also owned by Frank van Haandel, then in partnership with Frank’s brother John. McConnell’s last restaurant in the seaside suburb closed in 2018 after multiple attempts to make a site on Fitzroy Street work, first as Golden Fields, then Luxembourg and finally Supernormal Canteen. Trader House has owned Meatsmith butcher store on Barkly Street, St Kilda, since 2017.
Ganley will be watching how Trader House manages the cooler months. “Driving trade in winter is the real struggle in St Kilda, especially on the beach,” he says. “It will be interesting to see how they tackle that.”
The foreshore site of today’s restaurant has been a hospitality venue since 1908, initially as tearooms. Stokehouse opened on New Year’s Day 1990 and was a favourite for celebrations and seafood-studded special occasions until it was destroyed by fire in 2014.
Frank Van Haandel outside Stokehouse in St Kilda.Griffin Simm
Frank van Haandel rebuilt the property as Australia’s greenest restaurant. Food waste is composted on site, and the temperature is controlled by geothermal piping that extends 80 metres beneath the building. “It’s a building that will stand for 100 years, a legacy I am proud of,” says van Haandel.
As well as being a previous employer, van Haandel is a long-time admirer of McConnell’s knack with hospitality. “When he sets up a restaurant, he is very convincing with it,” he told the Australian Financial Review in 2018. “The food suits the identity of the business, the decor, staff and the delivery. He bridges fine dining and more casual and approachable really well. I don’t think anyone in Melbourne does it better.”
City of Port Phillip councillor and devoted gourmand Serge Thomann says: “The Stokehouse has long been an icon of St Kilda and one of Australia’s great dining destinations.”
“Frank and Hugh van Haandel have created something truly exceptional, and our community owes them a great deal of gratitude for their vision, passion and unwavering commitment over so many years.”
He’s optimistic about the new guard. “Andrew McConnell is another outstanding figure in Melbourne’s hospitality scene, and I have every confidence that under his stewardship, ‘The Stokes’ will continue to flourish while preserving the character, warmth and excellence that have made it such a beloved institution.”
Barb Dight has co-owned Acland Street’s Cicciolina almost as long as Stokehouse has been running. “I’m happy to have another quality operator in St Kilda and, as a local, somewhere else to eat,” she says.
“After 33 years, I can see the pendulum always swings and St Kilda is on the up with lots of fun and diverse places. Trader House will add to the mix in a big way.”
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