Sydney's east is the staging ground for the latest incursion of Melbourne food businesses.

Baker Bleu is about to land in Double Bay, Lune Croissanterie is hotly tipped to be headed into the Oxford & Foley development in Darlinghurst, and Melbourne-based restaurateur Joss Jenner-Leuthart, of Belles Hot Chicken fame, has been spotted on the eat streets of Surry Hills, already home to Melbourne imports including Chin Chin.

The entrepreneurial restaurateur confirmed he's close to inking a deal to open a "spiritual home" for Belles Hot Chicken, part of a considered expansion spree for the brand, which began in Melbourne in 2014.

He argues Belles' entree to Sydney as a pop-up and then a bricks-and-mortar operation pigeon-holed it as a quick to-go operation. He plans to build a signature Belles restaurant in Surry Hills that mirrors the ethos of the Fitzroy original.

"Table service, Nashville-style comfort food, our own beer and cola, the whole vibe of the place," he says.

Jenner-Leuthart, who says he "bought out Morgy (Belles co-founder Morgan McGlone)", is confident he'll sign on the Surry Hills property before the end of the month and open in late 2022. If that site falls over, he wants to find another in the area.