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RESTAURANT royalty William Liu - the man who brought you Sono and Nagomi Restaurant - has launched a new dining concept in Brisbane which has been described as a 'gourmet Japanese fast-food restaurant'.
More than half a million dollars has been invested in Motto Motto which has just opened at Westfield Garden City, which Liu says is the middle ground "between Japanese fine dining and takeaway sushi shops that sell $2.50 sushi rolls".
Motto Motto, which means more and more, has been in the pipeline for two and a half years and draws on Sono Restaurant's fine dining experience and Nagomi's fast-food approach.
"At Motto Motto, we're stepping things up," says Liu.
"Our strength is fine food, so we are raising the standards - we want our customers to feel special, but without the fuss.
"You don't have to book, plan or dress up. But you can enjoy food from the same chef of award winning Sono restaurant, in a stylish and innovative restaurant."
Unlike traditional fast-food restaurants, all meals are cooked upon order.
The business has heavily invested in advanced equipment and technology which is expected to reduce costs in the long run.
"A normal deep fryer costs around $3000 but ours cost $23,000 because it is electronically controlled which gives fast speed and it is also very easy for non-skilled people to use," he says.
"You just have to push buttons and it is automatically cooked so every time it should be perfect instead of people making mistakes."
Sono is currently prepping the restaurants dishes which are then delivered to Motto Motto.
"We try to make sure all of the food is of a higher grade," says Liu.
"All the dishes are designed to be simple, clean and healthy, but with creativity."
The ultimate vision is to grow the business and expand as a franchise while developing a centre kitchen for the brand.
Liu aims to turn over between $1.5 and $2 million in its first year of operation.
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