Renowned Brisbane and Gold Coast restaurateur Simon Gloftis is on a roll.
Following the huge success of his venture from the Gold Coast into Brisbane with Hellenika at The Calile, he’s now opened SK Steak and Oyster, also within The Calile and it’s proving to be equally popular.
We sat down with Simon to get the down-low on the Brisbane restaurant scene today and what the future holds.
How did you get started in the restaurant business?
I started off being a pizza delivery driver, washing dishes, then onto the floor and just sort of kept progressing.
I love hospitality and I know it sounds a little bit cliché but there’s that magic that you have between the customer and yourself that I just love. Especially at Hellenika, the food that I grew up with. Watching people eat it and enjoy it, it’s just really nice. It’s special.
And you’ve got quite the resume when it comes to restaurants now…
I had a few successful cafes on the Gold Coast. I then went and opened up Hellenika in Nobby Beach which was my dream. Onto a few others… the Fish House in Burleigh, Nineteen at the Star, then here at Hellenika at The Calile here in Brisbane and onto SK Steak and Oyster.
How do you feel about the incredible success of Hellenika at The Calile?
The success of Hellenika is quite amazing actually. For a humble Greek restaurant in Nobby Beach on the Gold Coast, it started out as… it does it feels quite special and it’s umm… I don’t know it’s a bit humbling, to be honest with you and I just love having all the people happy in my venues.
And now your newest venture, SK Steak and Oyster…
With SK it’s one of the restaurants where it’s all my favourite dishes from every restaurant that I’ve ever opened so it’s all the fun stuff.
It’s a celebratory type restaurant but it’s somewhere because the food is again always paired back the way I do it, it’s simple enough to go there for a Tuesday night dinner just because you feel like a piece of steak.
I chose this industry because sometimes you’re sort of born to do certain things. I tried a few other industries.
What do you think of the Brisbane restaurant scene and what the future holds?
The Brisbane restaurant scene has sort of exploded overnight but with like a 20 or 30-year apprenticeship. I love Brisbane city. I love that Brisbane’s coming alive now and it’s the time, it’s one of those old sayings but Brisbane’s best days are literally ahead of it and it’s so nice to be a part of that now and if I can sort of contribute a little bit in the hospitality scene, I couldn’t be happier being here.
