Wilson’s Boathouse to be transformed into food precinct
It’s been an icon of Brisbane’s bayside, now this waterfront restaurant is set to be transformed into a gourmet precinct complete with fish and chippery, French patisserie, gelateria and pontoon offering drive-through service for boaties.
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MANLY’S iconic Wilson’s Boathouse in Brisbane’s bayside is in for a dramatic makeover, with new owners set to turn it into family-friendly foodie and lifestyle precinct.
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Nikki and Greg Kay, behind Brisbane’s hugely popular Reef Seafood and Sushi at Newstead, have won the tender on the site, taking over from current owner Neil Jedid after 18 years.
The Kays plan to completely gut the building, renaming the venue Manly Boathouse and adding a fish and chippery out the front with picnic tables, a French patisserie and gelateria inside and a beautiful coastal-themed restaurant out the back with water views.
“It’s very exciting. We’ve always wanted to own a seafood restaurant on the water,” said Nikki.
The couple has been in the seafood industry for 15 years and previously ran butcheries so plan to bring their experience to the table with an impressive chargrill for steaks, an oyster bar serving shucked-to-order molluscs and a share-style, seafood-focused menu.
They also own a commercial crab and fishing boat and will be supplying much of the restaurant and fish and chipper with their own catch.
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Chef Braden White (ex-Miss Moneypenny’s and The Apo) will head up the restaurant kitchen, which will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week with a menu that’s approachable for everyone from kids to pensioners.
“We hope the whole area wants to come and just hang out,” said Nikki. “We want to make them feel like it’s their place.”
As part of the dramatic renovations, new French doors will be added, alongside cane and rattan furniture, white weatherboards, lots of greenery and brass detailing.
The restaurant will have two private dining rooms, while the couple also hope to hold weddings on site, as well as exercise classes on the lawn hosted by local fitness professionals.
The other highlight of the new development will be the addition of a new pontoon, which will offer a drive-through service for boaties with food packs for a day out on the water.
“We can fit three boats at a time and we just want people to drive in and then we’ll run it (the food) out to you and you’ll be on your way,” Nikki said.
Construction begins on Manly Boathouse in mid-October with the opening scheduled for the end of November/early December.
