Jamie Oliver rumoured to have a taste for Brisbane
Brisbane appears to be the frontrunner for the next location in the international Jamie’s Italian restaurant chain being set up by Britain's Jamie Oliver.
The Pacific Restaurant Group director Adam Heathcote confirmed a representative of Jamie's Italian International had been in Australia looking at its next site, including two strong prospects.
It is set to open Australia's first Jamie’s Italian on Sydney's Pitt Street (pictured) in October.
PRG holds a franchise for the brand in Australia and New Zealand.
Adam Heathcote confirmed to The Australian food writer John Lethlean that the organisation had a hot prospect.
The speculation was also that there could be another Sydney eatery, with a Melbourne location also mooted.
"As far as Melbourne's concerned, it's really a matter of identifying the right site more than anything else," Oliver told Lethlean.
Due to open its doors in October, Australia's first Jamie's Italian will seat 180 with a mezzanine floor that includes an antipasto bar.
Its head chef David Clarke, who graduated from PRG's Chophouse, is in Britain for further training.
Jamie Oliver has defied the European recession by cooking up a 170% rise in profits at his restaurant empire, according to the London Mirror newspaper.
Figures reveal his chain of 25 Italian eateries made £4.6 million in 2010 – up from £1.7 million the year before.
Jamie also raked in £8 million from books and TV shows – up 40% on 2009. It means he is now worth an estimated £100 million, the Mirror reports.
Oliver, the Channel 4 star, is planning to use some of the cash to open more restaurants across Britain including one opposite rival Gordon Ramsay near St Paul’s Cathedral in London as well as one in Dubai.
