Yolk Opens First City Location on Queen Street
The team behind the cult favourite breakfast spot Yolk has officially opened its first Brisbane City location on Queen Street. The new venue, which cut the ribbon on Monday 13 April 2026, marks the brand’s first expansion beyond its original Newstead base.
Yianni Passaris, the operator behind the concept, says the move brings the eatery’s signature bacon-and-egg rolls to the heart of the CBD for the first time. The location is positioned a short stroll from the Golden Triangle, surrounded by office buildings to capture high foot traffic.
A Hybrid Format for the CBD
Unlike the original Newstead site, the Queen Street venue has been designed with a different operational focus. Passaris describes the new space as a hybrid model, featuring only about five tables inside and some standing room outside.
The kitchen, however, is massive. It is double the size of the Newstead kitchen, allowing the team to focus on catering or use the space as a central prep hub to support potential future stores.
Passaris noted that finding the right site took time. He spent three to four years looking for the Gasworks site in Newstead and another two years searching for a city location that offered the necessary foot traffic and infrastructure.
Design and Menu Details
Alkot Studio led the design for the new venue, carrying over the brand’s signature yellow tiling with coral-coloured grout. The aesthetic contrasts these warm tones with stainless steel and raw concrete finishes.
Design features include hatch-shaped kitchen passes that pay homage to chicken coops, while a vivid ‘Stay Golden’ neon sign acts as a beacon for passers-by.
The full menu is available at the city location, divided into rolls and a ‘Not Rolls’ section. The roll options include the classic bacon-and-egg, a steak-and-egg variation, a buttermilk chicken burger, and a smashed wagyu patty cheeseburger.
For those skipping the rolls, the ‘Not Rolls’ section offers scrambled eggs with papaya salad, chicken rice salad, and buttermilk chicken strips with kiev mayo. Customers can also build their own bowls or add ‘eggstras’ like crumbed mushrooms, haloumi, and hash browns.
Drinks include freshly squeezed orange juice, milk, and black or filter coffee from Five Senses.
Staying True to the Original
Despite the new location, Passaris remains focused on the classics that built the brand’s reputation since opening in 2019. He notes that while the algorithm pushes new trends, he prefers to keep the focus on crowd favourites done exceptionally well.
“A lot of people say to me, ‘Yianni, you’ve got to do this or introduce this sandwich,’ but I always think about why Yolk started,” Passaris says. “Yolk started because of the bacon-and-egg roll, so we’ll always stay true to that.”
He admits the team is toying with menu additions, such as a peri-peri chicken burger or a Nashville-style burger, but these will likely be trialled as specials rather than permanent fixtures. The priority remains consistency across the staple range.
With renewed interest in Brisbane’s commercial heart in the lead-up to the Olympics, Passaris is confident the timing is right for this new territory. The venue is now open and ready to serve the thousands of passers-by in the CBD.
