Frank’s Social Club
If you’ve strolled past Empire Revival on Latrobe Terrace in Paddington lately, you may have spied the word Frank’s emblazoned in bold gold lettering on the windows of the old Wildflowers & Reading Hours space. Well, that’s because Frank’s Social Club – a deli-inspired bar and nosh spot – is opening along the heritage-laden strip this week. The brainchild of a husband-and-wife duo (a hospitality lifer and a teacher, respectively), Frank’s is described as a warm and welcoming haunt for Paddington locals looking to have a bite and a cocktail or two. Frank’s will be divided into two areas – a street-facing space with freshly exposed brick walls, a marble bar and timber cabinetry, while a room at the rear will be decidedly more intimate, with low-set black and sage-green walls creating a moody ambience. Opening from morning until evening, Frank’s will offer a range of toasties (including a vegan-friendly Bombay Club Toastie with rosemary roast potatoes, roast beetroot, pickled onions, sun-dried tomato pesto, green chutney and seed-and-nut mix on sourdough), a range of small plates and charcuterie and cheese boards. The drinks list will feature around a dozen cocktails encompassing classics, plus a number of spritzes and margaritas. Frank’s will open imminently – stay tuned for an up-close peek soon!

MANIAX Axe Throwing and Ragnar & Sons
Attention all aspiring lumberjacks and vikings – it’s time to limber up your throwing arm, as MANIAX Axe Throwing is opening a brand-new Brisbane location in the heart of The City next month. The new spot will be MANIAX’s second Brisbane location and third in Queensland, with its sites in Newstead and Surfers Paradise long been regarded as top spots for everything from birthday parties, hens/bucks dos and corporate team-building events to casually competitive outings amongst pals. MANIAX’s Brisbane City location, tucked away underground in a basement space off Adelaide Street, will be a little bit different from its siblings. Of course, it will have MANIAX’s signature axe-throwing lanes, including six private lanes (boasting two targets) and 12 Quick Chuck lanes (equipped with a single target each), but the venue will also feature its own fully-licensed bar called Ragnar & Sons. Described as having a viking-luxe feel, Ragnar & Sons will dispense a range of cocktails (served viking style in genuine drinking horns), craft beers, wine and non-alcoholic options, as well as a food menu featuring pizzas, burgers and mains for carnivores, vegans and vegetarians. Haven’t planned the work Christmas part yet? Good news – MANIAX Axe Throwing is opening on Thursday November 23 and bookings are already live via the website.

Vaiola
Tarragindi’s brunch scene is set to expand next week with the official opening of Vaiola. This vibrant eatery is the brainchild of Emily and Soane, the duo behind widely beloved locale Umu Kitchen, a Denham Terrace cafe specialising in Pacific Island-inspired cuisine, with a focus on Tongan-style fare. In addition to serving up sensational brunch, the Umu Kitchen team has dabbled in dinner, drinks and private events over its five years of operation. Unfortunately, the site’s limited amount of space has prevented the Umu team from expanding its offering further without sacrificing its trademark finesse and quality control. Enter the team from Tarragindi Bowls Club on Andrew Avenue, which approached the Umu crew to see if it would be interested in taking over its kitchen and cafe space. As of next week, this is where you’ll find Vaiola. Meaning ‘water of life’, Vaiola will boast a nature-inspired fit-out, with sage-coloured walls, turquoise-green tiling, muted blue tub chairs, timber tables and plenty of greenery conjuring a nourishing island vibe. An all-day breakfast and lunch menu will see the Vaiola team expand upon Umu’s Pacific Island inspirations, offering some Umu favourites like the prawn omelette with papaya and lychee, and a big breakfast with spit-roasted pig, as well as some Vaiola exclusives like toasted coconut bread with fresh seasonal fruits, edible flowers, maple syrup and coconut chia yoghurt, and the Fun-Gi, a seasonal medley of garlic mushrooms with fresh greens, kumara mash and kale chips. Caffeine seekers will be thrilled to hear that coffee from Parallel Roasters will also be available. A bar snack and dinner menu will come online from 2:00 pm, featuring a share plate and tapas-style offering (think arancini balls, sliders, pulled-pork tacos and pizzas), as well as a clutch of quintessential bowls club mains. Vaiola officially opens to the public next week – check in soon for a look inside!

Yo-Chi Frozen Yogurt
Even though the temperatures continue to yo-yo up and down, we can all agree that it’s getting hotter in Brisbane. As the start of summer looms large in front of us, the team behind innovative frozen yoghurt specialist Yo-Chi is looking to keep us cool with a brand-new location in Paddington, opening in mid-November. The dessert dispensary has been on a barnstorming run in 2023, with ten venues launching this year alone. Known for its soft-serve-style natural yoghurt and assortment of choose-your-own toppings, Yo-Chi made a great first impression when it opened its first Brisbane location on Albert Street in September 2022, followed quickly by a second site at Westfied Mt Gravatt in May this year. Yo-Chi will be setting up its third Brisbane site on Baroona Road in Rosalie, with the space currently being outfitted with a number of self-serve yoghurt machines and a buffet-style toppings bar. Long-time fans can expect the same great range of flavours and ingredients, but this time around Yo-Chi will be adding acai bowls to the offering, which can be personalised with spoonfuls of fresh fruit and nuts, chocolate drizzle, Biscoff spread, and (in another first) peanut butter! Keep your eyes peeled for a peek at Yo-Chi Paddington soon.

Sue’s Burgers & Shakes
South City Square’s dining offering is deepening as the precinct continues to develop. Next month the multifaceted retail, residential and commercial hub will welcome Sue’s Burgers & Shakes – an old-school-meets-new-school burger joint from the team behind WingFix. Sue’s Burgers & Shakes first burst onto the scene in 2021, wowing burger purists and casual eaters alike with its retro diner aesthetic and menu featuring a bevy of juicy two-handers, sensational sides and terrific thick shakes. Sue’s 70-seat South City Square location will boast the same eye-catching vivid throwback interior as its sibling and will offer a similarly stacked menu of artisanal options (including the signature Sue’s Classic, the mac ‘n’ cheese-stuffed Mac To The Future, gooey Philly cheesesteak, loaded maple fries and mozzarella sticks), but with some enticing new additions thrown into the mix. The new location will see the Sue’s team expand its offering to include a range of exciting cocktails (think boozy beverages garnished with sour straps and sugar-rimmed glasses), as well as a bolstered array of decadent desserts. Rest assured we’ll be taking a peek at Sue’s Burgers & Shakes’ boosted menu when it opens at South City Square in November.

PJ’s Steaks
Speaking of Philly cheesesteaks, one of Brisbane’s most-beloved cheesesteak vendors is expanding to Brisbane’s bayside. PJ’s Steaks will soon opening a new casual eatery at Wynnum Plaza, with a tentative opening date planned for late November or early December. Diners can expect PJ’s sizeable range of hoagie roll sandwiches, from its original (beef steak, fried onions and your choice of cheese) to its chicken cheese hoagie (chicken thigh, mixed capsicums, diced tomatoes, lettuce, fried onions and cheese). PJ’ Steaks will also be serving a selection of sides like chilli nachos with guac, chilli fries, spicy chicken wings and mozzarella sticks, plus a selection of American beers.

If you’ve heard something that’s worth mentioning in The Weekend Edition’s Pavement Whispers, email [email protected].