In the Byron Shire and surrounds, restaurants have been popping up with mouth-watering regularity, writes SAMUEL J FELL.
This month, northern rivers institution Francisco’s Table celebrates its fourth birthday. Since 2012, headed up by Argentinian-born chef Francisco Smoje, the team has literally popped up in various locations around the area, putting on feasts crafted from local produce, gaining themselves a reputation as one of the best around.
‘I never had a timeframe plan… I thought it might be an evolution and we’d branch into something else,’ Smoje says. ‘But I was hoping we’d still be here four years later.’
Francisco’s Table is one of a number of pop-up restaurants in the area, a phenomenon that has taken off in recent years. Whether providing three-course sit-down dinners, takeaway options or a quick snack, these temporary eateries have become all the rage, helped in no small part by their use of the myriad of fresh produce available locally.
Farmhouse Foods (featured on these pages in last week’s Echo, in case you missed it) operate a smokehouse in Federal on Friday and Saturday nights specialising in southern US smoked goods; Bruno Pouget of the now-defunct La Table has been operating pop-up nights serving French cuisine; Il Carretto puts on wood-fired pizza nights in Clunes and Bexhill on Thursdays and Fridays; and Shoza Gyoza showcases in Clunes too – there’s no shortage of choice.
‘It’s appealing because of the excitement and intrigue about what will be served,’ says Shoza Gyoza’s Jireh Dixon on the appeal of pop-ups for punters. ‘The authenticity of the food, and venue too; the atmosphere of the venue is usually lively and the customers all share the same notion of wanting to try new food and have a new experience.’
The benefits for the roaming restaurants are many, too. ‘The benefits are affordability, as you don’t have the responsibility of big rents and are not so committed to the regular outlays of a restaurant and cafe,’ says Dixon, ‘plus good brand exposure and a chance to experiment with different menus and see what works.’
Pop-up restaurants are a win-win then, providing punters with quick and easy choices, and chefs with a chance to experiment without much of a risk. Francisco’s Table has proven it’s a viable option in this part of the world. Long may it continue.
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