Our story starts with Rick Shores - opened in Burleigh Heads in 2016 by good friends Nick Woodward, David Flynn and Frank Li, long before there was a friends of friends to speak of. A decade spent working alongside one another in Brisbane's music and hospitality scenes had built the kind of friendship and mutual respect that comes from plenty of long nights, good times, shared dreams and big ambitions.
At the heart of it all was a pretty simple idea: create the kind of places they wanted to eat, drink and spend time in. They started out running bars and clubs together, before their attention turned to food. A beachfront spot on the sand at Burleigh became available, and so Rick Shores was born. It was a gutsy first move, but from day one, they knew they were onto something. Turns out it was just the beginning.
Almost everyone they spoke to thought it was a mistake: the rent was steep, the site flooded, and nobody wanted to hear about "elevated Asian casual fine dining" by the beach at Burleigh - a pretty silly idea, ten years ago. They were probably too naive to know better, and it was a hard slog for years. Now, more than a decade and over a million bug rolls later (yes, really), Rick Shores is the thing everything else was built on - one of Australia's most-loved restaurants, and one the Gold Coast is proud to call its own.
As Rick Shores grew, so did the circle around it. Southside landed in Brisbane's Fish Lane, while Chef James Brady joined the fold at Rick Shores, taking the reins and evolving the menu into the broader Pan-Asian menu we know and love today. James shared Nick's obsession with Latin American food and culture, following countless months travelling across the continent. Together, they brought that Latin spirit to life with their next venture: Norté and Sueño in Mermaid Beach.
Fast forward to 2024, and another friendship was ready to become something more. Chef Benny Lam, who had taken the helm of Southside, brought his love of Hong Kong cuisine to a very personal new project: Central, where he came on as Co-Owner and Executive Chef. Not long after, Chef Ollie Hansford joined the team, bringing years of international experience from some of the UK's top restaurants. Another friendship, another fresh vision - Marlowe, opening on Fish Lane in 2025, with Ollie as Co-Owner.
What began with a group of mates and one restaurant by the sea has become a growing circle of restaurateurs, chefs, collaborators and friends. Different people, different places, very different restaurants - all tied together by the same thing that started it all: good food, good times, and the people you want to share them with.
friends of friends. We've saved you a seat.
