It s the end of the road for a Brisbane dining institution. The Pearl Café, a well-regarded European-style bistro which established itself 14 years ago in a niche hospitality precinct in Woolloongabba, has shut the doors for good. Joint owners Andrew Watson and Laila Watson-Morovat, who only acquired the business in April last year, conveyed the bad news this week to shocked patrons via Instagram. No surprise that the pandemic was the major culprit but, sadly, the pair revealed they also couldn t access government help to see them through the tough times. Andrew Watson at The Pearl cafe in Woolloongabba Since the start of the pandemic, unlike the majority of our competitors, we have not had any assistance from the federal government in the form of job keeper (sic) or cash flow bonuses due to a technicality when purchasing the business, they posted.