MOTHER’S DAY DINING TREATS
This popular Mermaid Waters cafe is about to open a second outlet at Benowa. Amber Macpherson has your first look at the menu
IT’LL BE CASUAL, COMFORTABLE STYLE DINING, NOT RIDICULOUSLY PRICED
IT was always double or nothing for Double Barrel Kitchen.
After three years of operation in Mermaid Waters, the initial expansion vision is becoming a reality for owners Jess Winter and Peter Tutton.
“We’ve always wanted to expand,” Jess says.
“Our current venue is at the stage where it can run by itself without us there.
“I always like doing new things and being on the go — it was time to do something new.”
The second Double Barrel Kitchen is set to open in Benowa in the newly developed Marina Village.
“Sunland (Marina Village developers) approached us last year about coming over to the new development. The space ticked all the boxes,” Jess says.
“We’d been looking for quite a while to find another spot that had a nice view, that was bigger than our current venue, and we wanted a venue where we could branch out into doing functions.
“It’s more of a restaurant style and we’ll be open breakfast, lunch and dinner.
“It’s right on the water in an area that I think could do with a nice restaurant for locals to have their early morning coffee.”
Fans of Double Barrel Kitchen’s simple, seasonal breakfasts will be pleased to know the morning menu will echo the original, but Jess says the new eatery provides more room to experiment with lunch and dinner. “The lunch menu and dinner menu will be more restaurant style, with entrees, mains and desserts and sides,” Jess says.
“Initially we’re going to open for dinner Friday and Saturday nights and wait for the momentum to grow. “The menu will be a mix of old classics revived. I’m saying it’s modern Australian food.
“We’ll be opening in the middle of winter so we’ll have a nice lamb ragout, a southern style gumbo, there’s pasta, there’s seafood and some salads.
“It’s not going to be fine dining. It’ll be casual, comfortable style dining, not ridiculously priced.
“We’ve got to look at our demographic. There’s a lot of families out there, so we wanted to make it so everybody can afford to come out to have dinner and breakfast.”
Current head chef Adam Huffines will lead the kitchen, giving him the opportunity to flex his evening dining muscles once more.
“Adam did his apprenticeship at Woodchoppers Inn, then he went to Moo Moos Restaurant, then he was the head chef of Tugun Surf Life Saving Club,” Jess says.
“His style of cooking is that he likes to recreate the old classics, putting a modern twist on them. He also has a Texan heritage, so he likes smoking things like ribs and wings.”
Jess says she wasn’t surprised
by the success of Double Barrel Kitchen, a refreshing attitude in what can be an unpredictable hospitality industry.
She says she owes it to a strong work ethic from herself and her partner, and a team of staff who treat the customers like close friends.
“I knew we would be successful, both Peter and myself are very hard working and driven.
“We wouldn’t not let it succeed,” Jess says.
“We just try to keep it simple in doing good food and good coffee. The majority of our customers are regulars.
“We know they’ve just had a grandchild or they’re going to Monaco for three months.
“We push our staff on learning people’s names, spending that two minutes having a chat. I think a lot of places on the Coast lack that.”
The new Double Barrel Kitchen is expected to open at the end of June.