The East Street Takeover

The East Street Takeover

Written by Miranda CookPhotography by Brody Grogan

Once lined with empty retail space, East Street in the Fortitude Valley is now a bustling foodie mecca thanks to two Old Boys who are bringing global hospitality to Brisbane.

When brothers Cameron ‘00 and Jordie Votan ‘05 wanted to relocate their popular Chinese restaurant Happy Boy, they discovered the barren strip of East Street.

Many budding restaurateurs would have considered the area to be a risky investment, viewing the spot as too far out of the way or hidden in the shadows of the bright lights of James Street.

The Votans, however, saw a chance to emulate the intimate and minimalistic bars — popular for their seclusion — set back from main thoroughfares in cities like Tokyo and Paris.

“We didn’t want a cookie cutter business; we’ve tried to offer our customers an authentic yet unique experience and be part of what makes a city interesting,” Cameron said.

“We are inspired by the little 50 seaters down an alleyway in Tokyo or beautiful European bistros, where the chef is coming out and talking to you.”

The brothers now own three restaurants next door to one another. They originally opened nationally recognised restaurant Happy Boy, in Spring Hill, in 2014, before relocating to East Street, in 2017.

Snack Man, known for its extensive wine offerings made by tiny producers from underappreciated regions in Europe, opened next.

Proving to be savvy entrepreneurs of the restaurant industry, the brothers then remarkably expanded their business during the coronavirus pandemic — a time when many hospitality venues were sadly closing their doors.

When demand for food delivery options sky-rocketed amid lockdowns, the brothers opened Kid Curry as a takeaway-only shop. It has now expanded to offer a full menu and welcomes dine-in customers.

“Our customers were really hoping we would survive the pandemic, so they continued to support us,” Jordie said.

“It is so competitive — you’re competing with massive chains the size of Coles and Woolworths.”

During lockdown, the pair refused to use a food delivery service, such as UberEats and Deliveroo, because it meant parting with their already disappearing margins.

Instead, they tweaked their existing takeaway platform, which allowed them to employ wait staff as drivers, keeping them connected to the business.

More than 400 orders came flooding through in the first night.

“Part of it was being nimble and part of it was just great local support,” Cameron said.

“You have to have passion because you have to pay staff and suppliers every week, and if you aren’t getting dollars through the door, then you’re done.”

Six years after moving into East Street, their restaurants now capture about 70 metres of the road frontage, and despite having already created three iconic venues, their desire to the push boundaries hasn’t dimmed.

They have major redevelopment plans for street, which includes opening a yet-to-be-named French bistro early next year.

The makeover includes building a leafy alfresco seating area by September. The outdoor space will boast seating for up to 200 people, which they say is “very hard to find in Brisbane”.

The extra seating will allow for bigger groups, weddings and other functions, as well as extended trading hours.

The pair leaned on the architectural talents of Old Boy Morgan Jenkins ‘00 and his firm Nielsen Jenkins who designed Happy Boy, Snack Man and Kid Curry and the new outdoor area.

“We want this little strip to be one of the keystones for Brisbane, and that is a lot of work and responsibility,” Jordie said.

“Brisbane customers deserve something unique and their own — I think Sydney and Melbourne for too long have had a monopoly of interesting and new things.”

While reminiscing on their time at BGS, they have fond memories of friendships and credit the School for teaching them the value of working hard and believing anything is possible.

In turning full circle, their advice to BGS students echoes similar sentiments: “Do something you love,” Jordie said.

Don’t turn your back on things because it is something you’re not supposed to do –hospitality was never part of our plan.