Matt and Dayna Jefferson, couple behind esteemed Gold Coast restaurant set to open second venue Orzo

The team behind one of the Gold Coast’s most respected restaurants are set to open a second venue just steps from the original eatery that put them on the map.

BUON appetito! The couple behind one of the Gold Coast’s most respected restaurants are to open a second venue just steps from the original eatery that put them on the map.

Italian restaurant Orzo will be opened in early December as a new venture for Matt and Dayna Jefferson, who own Broadbeach’s Social Eating House.

“We always wanted to open a second restaurant, it was more about the timing,” Mrs Jefferson said.

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An artist’s impression of Orzo, a new Italian restaurant on the Oracle Boulevard.

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“We’re both so passionate about the industry. Matt (chef) has so much creative energy. It was more about the challenge for ourselves and our careers.”

Orzo will also be located within the Oracle Boulevard, a dining precinct where the couple have a special connection.

“We met there, we’ve both worked there for a long time, we love it,” Mrs Jefferson said.

“We 100 per cent thought we were going to head south. We looked at Mermaid Beach, we did research on Palm Beach and Burleigh, but we thought why would we take another restaurant south?

“We want to keep Broadbeach alive and offer more options.”

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An artist’s impression of Orzo, which will be in the old O Sushi restaurant space that closed earlier this year.

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The announcement comes as established restaurants The Bavarian and Mecca Bah confirm they have re-signed leases for continued tenancies at The Oracle Boulevard.

Mrs Jefferson says Orzo will add a modern Italian flavour to the mix.

“We love Italian food, it’s our favourite cuisine,” she said.

“You’ve got a lot of Italian restaurants on the Gold Coast but I think they’re misinterpreted.

“We want to have traditional Italian food with a twist.”

Orzo will open for lunch and dinner seven days a week at 12 Charles Ave, Broadbeach.