Eat Art Truck team open Middle Eastern restaurant Thievery in Glebe

Sydney food truck operators are pulling up to the kerb, not in search of parking spots, but rather bricks and mortar.

Thievery opens tonight, at 91 Glebe Point Road, backed by the team behind Eat Art Truck. Its modern Middle Eastern-inspired food is the creation of Jordan Muhamad (Rockpool, Chin Chin) and 2015 Josephine Pignolet​ Young Chef of the Year Julian Cincotta. Eat Art Truck co-owner Mo Moubayed​ explains they've toyed with pop-ups, but branching out to permanent restaurants is a natural business progression.

"Everyone assumes food trucks are cheaper than running a restaurant, but they are extremely hard work. You still need an off-site kitchen, Sydneysiders aren't late night eaters and most venues offer food," Moubayed says.

Thievery takes its design cues from Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.

"It looks like a hideout; we wanted to create somewhere people could go and hang out. Somewhere we could have fun and be experimental with Middle Eastern," he says.

One dish turns the traditional lamb nayyeh on its head, raw minced lamb replaced with the very-Sydney addition of kingfish. At Thievery the mojitos will be orange blossom-flavoured and the accent strong.

"We've even sourced Coke bottles with Arabic writing on them. There are local beers and beers from Lebanon," Moubayed says.

He's also bullish about a strip that has claimed more than its share of restaurant scalps.

"We like the village vibe, it's near Sydney Uni and Newtown is a little saturated."