Naïm
Regulars to Paddington’s Shouk Cafe will have noticed a little shake up at the much-loved cafe early last week. After almost three years of trading, owners Guy Frawley and Adi Shabtay decided to give the cafe a new lease on life, renaming it as Naïm, a Hebrew word meaning pleasant. While the team and location remains the same, with a new name comes a refreshed fit-out and new menu. The cafe still takes influence from Middle Eastern cuisine and favourites such as the pumpkin and haloumi and avocado on toast still remain, but much of the menu has been given a complete overhaul. As if they’re not busy enough, Guy and Adi are also currently working on a second Naïm in Aria Property Group’s The Melbourne Residences in South Brisbane, which will neighbour the much-anticipated Gelato Messina. Naïm on Melbourne will open in the first quarter of next year, with a slightly different offering to its Paddington sibling – namely that the 48-sqm space will not have a kitchen. Instead the cafe will offer salads and meze from the front cabinet, as well as coffee, baked goods and sandwiches to grab and go. We’ll have more details for you soon!

Sasquatch Bar
You know how much we love news of a suburban bar! The latest suburb to get a boutique bar to call its own is Chermside, with Sasquatch Bar & Kitchen due to open in early January 2017. The cafe and bar will be open from morning through to late, starting the day with Cleanskin Coffee Co.’s Saint Espresso on the brew and quick bites such as jaffles and baked goods. Come lunch you’ll be able to pick up a packed-full sub and of an evening craft beer and the custom charcoal grill are the heroes. Eats will include share plates of chargrilled meats such as whole chickens and fillets of fish, served with a selection of snacks and sides. Eight beers will be on tap in addition to 20 bottled beers and a range of spirits. Keep an eye on The Weekend Edition early next year for full details!

The Zoo
After many, many years, our beloved The Zoo is getting a little makeover. New owner Pixie Weyand has sold her previous projects Lost Boys and The Tree House, focusing her efforts on taking The Zoo back to its roots and making it the best it can possibly be. To answer the question on everyone’s lips – yes, a makeover means air-conditioning! The venue will also be undergoing a few structural changes, such as building a new bar and moving the sound booth, which means there will always be a clear line of sight to the stage. You’ll also be able to pop in for a drink earlier on Friday afternoons for after-work bevs. The Zoo’s last show of the year will be this Thursday December 22, and will reopen on Saturday February 4.

Pourboy
After six years pleasing Brisbane City coffee lovers, Pourboy Espresso is expanding. Owner Sebastian Butler-White has announced Pourboy in South Bank’s new Southpoint development, due to open in February 2017. The new 188-sqm venue will offer Pourboy’s signature brews with the addition of breakfast, lunch and dinner menus, and will operate as a wine bar of an evening catering to after-work and weekend crowds. Pourboy will join Neil Perry’s Burger Project in the new dining precinct, as well as a fourth venue for Mrs Luu’s Vietnamese Canteen and Stone Artisan Bakers, a new project from the team behind Greenslopes’ Le Campagne Bakery. Stay tuned for more details soon.

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