“It’s the most casual of all my eateries, but there’ll be nothing casual or cavalier about the quality or service at Sunshine,” says Simon Gloftis, joyfully. The Hellenika and SK Steak & Oyster owner tells Broadsheet his third venue is slated to open at the end of October, taking over the former Chow House site on James Street – opposite Fortitude Valley’s boutique hotel The Calile, where his other Brisbane restaurants are located.

New neighbourhood eatery Sunshine will have an all-Mediterranean, all-vegetarian menu with the flavours Gloftis grew up with. Born in Melbourne to a Greek father and Polish mother, Gloftis will be serving “beautiful trays of stuffed tomatoes, amazing salads and so on”, he says. “It’ll be like a heightened version of a trip to the Med.”

Unlike the refined a la carte set-ups at Hellenika and SK Steak & Oyster, Sunshine will offer counter service with a drinks list of fresh lemonade iced tea, cocktails, and organic and biodynamic wines.

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“You can sit on James Street in a beautiful environment with a plate of healthy, nourishing food and a bottle of wine – and if you don’t want to sit down, we will absolutely specialise in takeaway,” he says.

“After five years of planning this passion project in my head, I have finally come up with the perfect location and the perfect team” – which includes Hellenika and SK Steak & Oyster general manager Theo Kampolis and SK head chef Kelvin Andrews.

The restaurateur says he’s taking his experience with high-end dining and “paring it back” to create a more relaxed environment. Expect muted earthy (“but not rustic”) tones and a “modern Mykonos” fit-out. Chuckling, Gloftis admits he “needs to work on that” description.

Sunshine is slated to open at the end of October.

@sunshinejamesst