Jem Jacinto has been circling Brisbane for a few years now. The hospitality entrepreneur (and head honcho of Jacinto Group) has been gradually making his way up the east coast since launching Finn Poke in Byron Bay almost seven years ago, opening its first Gold Coast outpost at Pacific Fair in June of 2018 and then other in Burleigh Heads a month later. The Jacinto Group then consolidated his Burleigh-based holdings in 2021 with Two Yolks – an orange-hued burger joint that is regularly touted as one of the GC’s best. And now, after patiently biding his time, Jem is finally making a move on Brisbane’s dining scene.

Work is underway on new Finn Poke and Two Yolks locations in South Bank, with Jem and his crew snagging the former Cowch site on Grey Street for a huge double-header debut. Seeking a site that could match the action of perpetually buzzing hubs like Byron Bay and Burleigh, South Bank’s diverse mix of clientele, strong day-and-night activity, and resistance to seasonal ebbs and flows made it the ideal landing point for Jem’s concepts.

“Just because a place is in a high-traffic area doesn’t mean it’s conducive to particular concepts,” admits Jem. “But when we got word of South Bank, it checked all the demographics. You’ve got students, you’ve got commuters, you’ve got office workers, you’ve got residents, you’ve got tourists – and it’s busy seven days straight. It was a really exciting location to conquer, because very rarely you get to have a bit of everything.”

To accommodate both eateries, the Cowch site is being split into two, with Finn Poke and Two Yolks sitting side-by-side in their own self-contained shopfronts – a calculated move Jem hopes will capture a broader swathe of wandering foodies.

“The Finn Poke store in Byron is right next to Betty’s Burgers and we actually complement each other – we feed off each other,” says Jem. “Some people want comfort food and some want something healthier. We noticed that dynamic and we’ve decided to split the [South Bank] space. It’s really two stores, two kitchens and two sets of staff.”

A larger interior portion will house Two Yolks, with the team stepping up its design game to give the eatery a chic retro diner aesthetic. Two Yolks’ distinct orange hue will be offset by walnut tones, with seating for approximately 90 guests spread across comfy booths and tables. The vibe will be upbeat courtesy of an on-site DJ booth, but Two Yolks will be welcoming to all comers – be it the younger crowd piling in during the evenings, families seeking a fun-infused feed at lunchtime or early risers swinging through for breakfast.

“Initially [Two Yolks was] sort of a breakfast and lunch-focused concept,” says Jem. “But we saw an opportunity in Burleigh for three-dimensional trade – breakfast, lunch, and dinner. To get the trifecta is particularly difficult, especially in our fast-casual sector, but I thought we’d try it. Now we’re balanced for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

Next door, Finn Poke will be more of a grab-and-go hot spot, but footpath dining for 60 guests will still offer plenty of places to perch for poke-loving locals. Where the Byron and Burleigh shops are purposefully casual and beachy, Jem says Finn Poke South Bank will boast more of a metropolitan appeal, with Sydney design firm StudioMKZ working with Jacinto Group on the new site’s look.

Though Two Yolks and Finn Poke will debut with its established offering, Brisbane folks can also expect to see a few surprises on the menu, which has been devised by executive chef partner Charles Olalia, who boasts a Michelin-starred pedigree after stints working at The French Laundry and Restaurant Guy Savoy. “We’re revamping our menus, but all of the classics will be there for everyone,” says Jem. “We’ll be doing a couple of firsts in the poke industry, and for Two Yolks we are introducing a couple of new menu items that are quite creative on the breakfast side of things that haven’t been done yet.”