New eatery serves healthy food to bowl you over

Cult health food restaurant Fishbowl will mark its Queensland debut with complimentary eats. Find out how you can get your hands on a free meal.

Is there any better way to open an eatery than by giving away free food?

Cult health food restaurant Fish Bowl certainly doesn’t think so, with the uber popular business featuring stores across NSW and Victoria set to do just that when it makes its long-awaited launch into Queensland this month.

Owners and Sydney matesNic Pestalozzi,Casper EttelsonandNathan Dalah will open their first Sunshine State venue in Brisbane’s buzzing Newstead Gasworks complex, continuing their dream of bringing tasty, health-conscious takeaway to Australians.

“We’re pretty excited for it. It’s definitely been a long time coming,” Pestalozzi said.

“The main thing for us is we treat every store like it’s our only store. It’s about getting everyone through the door and developing a relationship with them.”

And to do that the trio will be giving away 100 free bowls to their first customers on their July 16 grand opening, while bowls will be reduced to just $10 across the opening weekend. So what are these bowls? Think Asian-leaning poke bowls, where diners pick their base, say brown rice, soba noodles or mixed leaves, and then add protein like aburi salmon, beef brisket, poached chicken or veg options such as miso-roasted pumpkin, before finishing with sauces. There is also a full range of signature bowls that change with the season and from store to store based on local clientele’s preferences.

A salmon sashimi bowl from Fishbowl. Picture: Jenifer Jagielski

But what makes this brand stand out from those before it is its integration with local businesses and community.

Expect collaborations with local gyms, including run clubs, as well as Brisbane artists for installations, plus Queensland musicians, who will play at the venue’s regular community parties and events.

The business is also keen to reward its regular customers with a special loyalty program, while the new Brisbane store will offer a special order-ahead service, where diners can order on their phone and simply pick up from a shelf inside the indoor-outdoor eatery.

The Newstead store will kickstart a major expansion into the Queensland market for the brand, with a Gold Coast outlet at Burleigh Heads to follow just three weeks later, and more planned for across the state.