Popular Brisbane eat street to get major makeover

A Fortitude Valley dining strip that is frequently booked out with hungry punters is facing a major shake-up, with a dramatic expansion among the big changes on the way.

Fortitude Valley foodie mecca East St is set for an eye-catching transformation, with the introduction of a verdant outdoor dining space sure to become one of Brisbane’s most sought after alfresco areas.

Brothers Cameron and Jordan Votan, who own East St eateries Happy Boy, Kid Curry and Snack Man, are behind the makeover, which will add extra seating to their hugely popular restaurants and further beautify the culinary hotspot.

Happy Boy in East Street.

“It’s a lot of landscaping and making good of that (existing) garden bed and really making it a beautiful space to dine in,” Cameron said.

The renovation will add up to 40 extra seats at Snack Man, up to an additional 30 at Kid Curry, and allow for bigger groups and more room at Happy Boy, as well as the possibility of weddings and engagement parties at the different venues.

If the expansion is successful, Cameron said it may even lead to extended trading on weekends and a special daytime yum cha offering being introduced at Snack Man.

Jordan and Cameron Votan inside their Snack Man wine bar and restaurant. Picture: Peter Wallis

“Having a lovely outdoor yum cha with champagne is something we’ve always wanted to do, but Snack Man being that much more night time venue in aesthetic has held us back; but having that outside space definitely allows it to be on the cards,” he said.

While the brothers are still finalising the exact finishes and furniture for the outdoor area, Cameron said each restaurant would have its own unique space, look and feel, with lush plantings around the street’s signature, fairy light-wrapped trees, and some kind of semipermanent rain covering to allow the areas to operate regardless of the weather.

Work is to begin on the strip within the next few months, ahead of a spring launch.