The Yiros Shop to Open in the CBD

It was once almost impossible to find any yiros at all in Brisbane. Soon you’ll be able to buy one at four in the morning.

That’s restaurateur Nick James’s plan. He’s announced his first city outlet for The Yiros Shop. The store will open in mid-to-late May, and comes hot on the heels of last week’s unveiling on Grey Street.

It might be store number four, but James has wanted a CBD operation from the beginning. “Ever since I first opened [in Cannon Hill],” he says. “But it’s about finding the right location to get both the nighttime and daytime trade. I didn’t want to go into any malls or anything like that.”

He’s finally settled on a space on the corner of Edward and Charlotte Streets, across the road from the Victory and Stock Exchange Hotels. Hence the four-in-the-morning part.

It will be the same Yiros Shop philosophy and product: thick and fluffy pitas scorched on the grill, served with your choice of meat, tomato, red onion, parsley, tzatziki and hot chips. “Next door is Subway. I actually feel a bit sorry for them,” James jokes. “They’re different, obviously, but it’s the same sort of thing. It’s just that we’re Greek and we’re faster. But, seriously, we're not there to compete with anyone; we just like that spot."

On Saturday just past, James celebrated the opening of the Grey Street store with a free yiros day. “It’s been going well there,” he says. “Very, very busy … I’m not sure how many [shops] I want to have in the end,” he says. “I’m getting used to it now. The only thing is time between openings to train staff. That’s really the only thing slowing me down.”