Mr Hizola’s
Gold Coast hospitality identity Scott Imlach is at it again. The owner of Hideaway Kitchen & Bar, Bine Bar & Dining, Soho Place and Nightjar is about to commence works on his fifth venue – a Cantonese restaurant in Burleigh Heads called Mr Hizola’s. The venue is named after its head chef and part-owner John Hizola, who has spent the last few years running Hideaway Kitchen & Bar in Broadbeach, which he also part owns. Unlike Scott Imlach’s most recent openings (kitchen-less small bars Soho Place and Nightjar), Mr Hizola’s will focus heavily on food, serving contemporary Cantonese by day and night, alongside a tight collection of cocktails and boutique wines. The new venue is located next door to Japanese eatery Iku Yakitori Bar on the Gold Coast Highway, in a space that was originally occupied (for only a few weeks during December 2017) by steakhouse Bondi Grill’e. Despite being a turnkey restaurant, cosmetic changes and minor construction works will still be undertaken on the venue over the coming weeks, with an expected opening of mid June. We’ll have all the details for you then!

Hellenika Brisbane
Just months after opening Nineteen at The Star and Bar Hellenika, Simon Gloftis has this week announced his latest venture – Hellenika Brisbane. The first sibling venue of the much-loved Nobby Beach Greek eatery will be located in James Street’s The Calile Hotel and is set to open in early September. The 600-sqm Hellenika Brisbane will sit on the hotel’s first level, sprawling out to an open-air patio with poolside cabanas. Hellenika’s original chef Bryan Kelly, who worked for the restaurant for five years, has returned from a two-year stint in London to head up the new Brisbane kitchen, with Bryan’s wife Tessa (also ex-Hellenika Nobby Beach) coming on board as restaurant manager. The Brisbane menu will be very similar to Nobby Beach – think seared scallops with ouzo and butter, veal dolmades and Hellenika’s baked lamb house special – plus the addition of a classic breakfast menu with hints of Greek influence. Hellenika Brisbane will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week, and guests of the hotel will also be able to order from a poolside menu. Keep your eyes on The Weekend Edition for all the details.

Milky Lane
Burger lovers and appreciators of over-the-top eats, gird your loins – the opening date of the Gold Coast’s first Milky Lane has been announced. Open the diary and cross out Friday May 18 with a big black pen – because that’s when the famous burger joint will be swinging its doors open and exposing us all to devilish cocktails, DJs, hip-hop tunes and lots of drool-worthy burger porn. We first dropped the news of this one back in March and all we have been thinking about since then is Milky Lane’s limited-edition five-cheese deep-fried lasagne burger. Don’t miss out on all of the Milky Lane goodness in next week’s issue.

Justin Lane
Renowned restaurateur Adam Haralampou has sold his iconic Burleigh Heads pizzeria Justin Lane, which he first opened in 2011, to Melbourne buyers. The move will see Adam, who also owns Mr Bengel in Palm Beach, focus on his 150-seat restaurant Harry’s Steak Bistro & Bar, which he plans to tweak to incorporate a more sustainable paddock-to-plate offering following the establishment of his own farm in Tallebudgera Valley. The farm is currently in early stages, but will soon expand with a vast offering a vegetable and fruit crops, with around 100 citrus orchards already lining the property.

Bonita Bonita and Bon Bon
Another Gold Coast icon has changed hands, with Morgan Walsh recently selling Bonita Bonita and the adjoining Bon Bon bar to an undisclosed buyer. Morgan first established the modern Mexican eatery in 2013, and has since expanded her portfolio with nearby casual dining spots Poké Poké and Chinese-American diner FuFu. Morgan is currently underway with another Mermaid Beach venue, a vegetarian and vegan eatery called The Milkman’s Daughter, which is due to open by June.