THE seemlingly-abandoned Moon and Mountain site, once a key restaurant in Ballarat's evolving foodie scene, will re-open reimagined by mid-July.
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Plans have been confirmed by the team behind Cattleya Thai, in the medical precinct, that a move further down Mair Street to the city's foodie precinct will allow for more space to meet growing demand.
Cattleya Thai's Alex and Katie Potikul opened a second Ballarat restaurant venture on February 22, 2024, with Eatsy Thai, offering high-end "real Thai street food" to eat in or takeaway from Armstrong Street.
Eatsy's new customers have been quick to spot the menu covers had been sourced from Moon and Mountain, still bearing the restaurant's iconic logo.
The Potikuls made their official foray into the Ballarat restaurant scene in late June, 2023, bringing their popular Warrnambool brand to town in the smaller, more home-like setting at the top of Mair Street, behind Johnny Alloo.
They plan to keep the heritage-listed spot operating as Florey Cafe, which has been their Thai-Aussie cafe fusion by day.
Cattleya Thai, their authentic Thai cuisine, will be served in a more high-end decorative style along with a bar and cocktails in the former Moon and Mountain space. Plans are for the upstairs space to seat an extra 100 diners with about 60 diners downstairs.
Ms Potikul said it had been a busy few months but they had wanted to make the most of such opportunities - despite having originally sought a small Ballarat space for a change in pace to their large, bustling Warrnambool location.
"There is the demand from [Ballarat] customers," Ms Potikul said. "My staff have been moving from Melbourne to move here permanently. They came for work and liked Ballarat and it's not easy to find staff."
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The Potikuls had been keen to make their way into the Armstrong Street foodie precinct. Now they had staked their spots, Ms Potikul said there had been good feedback but there was a lot more competition in the area.
Eatsy Thai has opened in a space that has most recently been the Hot Chicken Project.
The restaurant is situated across the street from Vietnamese-fusion restaurant Saigon Allee and Roy Hammond's Asian-fusion menu.
Popular South American street food and cocktail restaurant Pancho has also made its planned move from Armstrong Street to a bigger space in Mair Street.
In an evolving Armstrong Street area, there have been plenty of new offerings, including Brian Taylor's latest venture opening in August. Grainery Lane is the speakeasy-style distillery sister to the nearby Hop Temple, Roy Hammonds and Aunty Jacks.
Moon and Mountain closed quietly in late 2023, having been showcased in Adam Liaw and Poh Ling Yeow's Great Australian Bites on SBS Food earlier in the year.
Ms Potikul said it had been hard work to open Eatsy, especially because her husband was still running the Florey Cafe-Cattleya Thai space. His cousin runs the Warrnambool-based Cattleya Thai.
"Normally I have my husband beside me but I have good staff and a good husband for support to me," Ms Potikul said.
Fit-out works are under way for Cattleya Thai in the former Moon and Mountain site.
