Rice Boi owner Tony Kelly opening new venue RB at The Wharf, Mooloolaba

The creator of a booming casual-dining restaurant on the Sunshine Coast is opening a new fine-dining version of it, tucked away at a hidden location. Watch the video for a sneak peek inside.

A powerhouse restaurateur is opening a new fine-dining restaurant in a hidden space at a Sunshine Coast dining precinct to act as a premium version of crowd favourite, Rice Boi.

Sunshine Coast chef and businessman Tony Kelly – creator of Rice Boi, Giddy Geisha, and Market Bistro – has announced he’s serving up a new fine-dining restaurant, RB, upstairs at The Wharf, Mooloolaba in May.

Mr Kelly said the 300 sqm, modern Asian-style restaurant will be the premium version of popular venue Rice Boi, saying it will reflect its “DNA” but feature more space, table service, and the ability to make reservations.

“RB is going to be Rice Boi on a whole other level,” he said.

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New dishes at the upcoming venue, RB, at The Wharf Mooloolaba. Photo: Supplied.

The chef-by-trade said customers will have to walk through old fire escape doors and up a concrete staircase to enter the dark, moody-style restaurant, sitting above existing stores El Bigoton and Fudgees.

Mr Kelly, who now owns 10 restaurants, said he was opening RB after a lot of people asked him to enable reservations at Rice Boi.

“[They] wanted us to take what we do at Rice Boi and put it into a formal setting,” he said.

Diners are usually happy to line-up for seats at the popular Rice Boi restaurant at the Wharf Mooloolaba. Picture: Brad Fleet

He said his new, 30-staff venue will feature a 60-seat restaurant, a 30 to 40-seat cocktail bar, and a 14-seat private dining room.

Mr Kelly said RB was designed by local firm CAB ROTO, which handled Market Bistro, to create a “grown-up, city feel”.

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Mr Kelly, running the venue with business partners Elyza Molloy and Mitch Price, said it will have similar flavours to Rice Boi.

RB will feature a fancier version of one of Rice Boi’s famous dishes, coconut braised beef curry, with the addition of wagyu short rib.

The Wharf Mooloolaba general manager Karen Hugg said the new restaurant’s spot was mostly empty after an old gift shop there shut around 2014, which used to be accessed by people walking along an old bridge from Sea Life Sunshine Coast to The Wharf.

Ms Hugg said Mr Kelly was using half of the space while her team planned to use the rest for functions.