Chef cops fine while closing up restaurant

A BRISBANE chef has been stung with a $133 parking fine as he helped load kitchen equipment into his car following the closure of his restaurant due to the coronavirus shutdown.

Louis Le Pape was parked in the loading zone outside French fine diner Montrachet at Bowen Hills on Monday, but the front of his car was tipping into the yellow no-parking zone.

As he loaded equipment into his vehicle that was parked just outside the restaurant, which had been forced to shutdown under new government regulations, his car was approached by two Brisbane City Council parking inspectors.

French-born Mr Le Pape said he tried to explain to the ticket inspectors the situation but they showed no leniency.

"My head chef came out and was trying to communicate with him. They didn't listen and they said that's what it is," he said.

"There was no understanding. It was pretty rough."

The $133 fine was a devastating blow for the chef, who faces potentially losing his job as the COVID-19 restaurant shutdowns force many venues to cut staff.

"I felt it was unfair," Mr Le Pape said.

After being contacted by The Courier-Mail, the Brisbane City Council said they encouraged the chef to contact them so they could waive the fine.

"We absolutely understand that in these circumstances, a lenient and sympathetic approach should be taken as businesses and staff deal with the confronting situation we are going through due to coronavirus," said BCC Community, Arts and Lifestyle Chair Peter Matic.

"Council works quickly to withdraw any fines that were not issued for legitimate or intentional illegal parking. Last year almost 10,800 fines were waived with a majority being for compassionate grounds or extenuating circumstances."

Originally published as Chef cops fine while closing up restaurant