Restaurateur Bill Drakopoulos to open Cafe Bondi in former Depot site

Bill Drakopoulos, the restaurateur with a stable of waterfront restaurants on Sydney Harbour, including Aqua Dining, Ormeggio at The Spit and LuMi Bar & Dining, is headed to the surf, with a new venue opening at Bondi Beach.

Drakopoulos scion Daniel – who cut his teeth at Caffeine Cartel in the CBD – will operate Cafe Bondi, which is headed into North Bondi.

"It'll open in November. We are doing a full makeover of the site," Drakopolous snr confirmed.

It will slide into the corner location where the Turland family has long operated The Depot.

The Turlands are a go-getting bunch, the clan a mix of internet food pioneers, Bondi Harvest brand builders and chefs out of hatted kitchens. Matriarch Heather Turland is a Commonwealth Games gold medallist marathon runner and multiple City2Surf winner.

"We couldn't come to terms on a new lease," Clint Turland says. Fortunately, Bondi hasn't seen the last of the cafe clan, with a Depot pop-up opening this week at the former Hobbits site down the hill from its old digs, at 262 Campbell Parade.

Next year they will move to a permanent home in the former Jackie's Cafe site, opposite Raw Bar at 132 Warners Avenue.