B. Lucky & Sons
Remember the days when you’d spend hours playing in your local shopping-centre arcade, only to find your armful of tickets could merely get you a slapband and a bouncy ball? Well, imagine that nostalgic arcade thrill with a cocktail in hand, and your tickets granting the opportunity to win the likes of classic Nintendo 64s and vintage Chanel handbags. This dream is soon to become a reality, when B. Lucky & Sons opens its doors in Fortitude Valley’s TC Beirne Building on September 27. This grown-up playground comes from the brains behind Strike Bowling and Holey Moley Golf Club, and promises to deliver a whole lot of fun accompanied by quirky cocktails, bite-sized morsels, stone-baked pizzas and more. Players will enter through a pawn-shop facade to uncover a moody neon-lit den of wonder, reminiscent of the arcades of yesteryear with a distinctly modern touch. B. Lucky & Sons will be filled with a number of your favourite arcade games ranging from $2–$5, including Mario Kart, NBA Hoops, Space Invaders and classic whack ‘n’ win games, allowing you to win big on tickets and claim a vintage collectable from the pawn shop. We’ll have full details for you soon! 

GRECA
We’re not ashamed to admit that we’ve traversed the New Farm Riverwalk numerous times recently, if only to keep tabs on the progress of the Howard Smith Wharves. As this anticipated development inches closer to completion, word is spreading about the restaurants, bars and more that will soon be calling the heritage-listed precinct home. Restaurateur and chef Jonathan Barthelmess – the renowned culinary brain behind Sydney institutions The Apollo and Cho Cho San – will be bringing his heralded Greek cuisine north, and has now announced his new eatery will be named GRECA. Inspired by the simplicity of traditional Greek cuisine and the Mediterranean lifestyle, GRECA will be embracing Queensland’s climate with a menu of share-style dishes and a timeless indoor-outdoor trattoria aesthetic. Expect some of The Apollo’s original dishes remixed with the best local produce, cooked over wood, fire and stone, and served with a list of Mediterranean wines, lavish cocktails and a killer riverside atmosphere.

Stone & Wood Brisbane Brewery
It seems like Brisbane is pretty determined to become the craft-beer capital of Australia. The latest brewer to set its sights on the Sunshine State is Byron Bay’s Stone & Wood, expanding its operations to open a small brewery in Fortitude Valley. The Stone & Wood team is currently working away on a new brewery on Ewingsdale Road in Byron, relocating its original operations to enhance the visitor experience and bring everything together at one site. Not ones to rest on their laurels, the gang has also secured a spot in the Trails Ltd Ice & Cold Stores building on Fortitude Valley’s Bridge Street, set to open its doors in early 2019. The Stone & Wood Brisbane Brewery will provide a home for the company’s Brisbane-based team and will house a small brewery, brewing a rotating selection of beers. Those beers can be consumed fresh off the tap in the on-site tasting room, plus Stone & Wood will host events and beer education sessions.

Mercado
There’s been speculation of a fresh-food marketplace at Bowen Hills’ King Street for a little while now and at last we can announce our inklings were correct! From mid-October this year, the foodie precinct will welcome Mercado, offering a premium selection of produce from Australia and around the world. Mercado’s 1500-sqm space will be brimming with everything from seafood, meat and cheese, to bread, fruit and vegetables. Everyday convenience items will also be available, alongside specialty chocolates, teas, beverages and more. The Mercado Group team says the concept will put a “contemporary, luxury spin on day-to-day food shopping”, and will create sensory experiences so that each visit to the marketplace is a memorable one. The store will also offer the likes of concierge and personal shopping services, and in-store iPad ordering. Fit-out is currently underway – keep an eye on The Weekend Edition for details.

Le Fromage Yard
If you’re a lover of cheese, you’re no doubt well acquainted with Le Fromage Yard. The cheese monger has been providing oozy goodness at markets around town for a few years now, and has finally secured a permanent location. As of early September, you’ll no longer have to wait for market days to get your fine-cheese fix – you can roll right in to Le Fromage Yard’s Morningside fromagerie! The permanent store will offer an expanded selection of Le Fromage Yard’s cheeses, allowing the team to source more Australian products and boutique ranges. In addition, you’ll be able to stock up on all of the perfect cheese accompaniments, including pates, terrines, saucisson and other cured meats, olives, sweet garlic and more. We also hear there will be more surprises in stock to be announced on opening, as well as takeaway filled baguettes and cheese boards in the afternoons. Conveniently, Le Fromage Yard is adjacent to local favourite Flour and Chocolate, so you can pick up your pastries and baguettes for the ultimate feast!

If you’ve heard something that’s worth mentioning in The Weekend Edition’s Pavement Whispers, email [email protected].