A local restaurateur known for building three successful Indian eateries has taken a fresh turn into Italian cuisine with his newest venture.
The newly-opened Flavino restaurant at Baringa is the latest move by Karan Khosla, who already operates three Sunshine Coast Indian eateries under The Spice Hut brand.
Mr Khosla said the suburb was a natural choice for expansion, having already seen strong support from locals and with the community continuing to grow.
“I thought there was a massive opportunity here, which is very close to my house where I live,” he said.
“The other store here has gone from strength to strength every month, which is amazing.
“I think in the area that we’re in, there isn’t any competition (for Italian dining), to be honest.”
The name Flavino is a combination of ‘Italian flavours’ and ‘vino’, with the menu focused on three pillars: pasta, pizza and gelato.
Mr Khosla said diners could expect dishes made fresh in-house rather than relying on frozen products.
“Everything is going to be made from scratch here,” he said.
Among the signature offerings are gnocchi Napoli – homemade gnocchi with a choice of sauce, parmesan and pecorino – as well as pizzas including margherita, plus a range of pasta dishes.
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The venue is also serving Maleny gelato and using bread supplied by a bakery in Coolum, while fruit and vegetables are sourced through a local supplier used across the group’s restaurants.
“We’re trying to use local produce where we can,” Mr Khosla said.
He said the corner site and open layout helped shape the relaxed, family-friendly feel of the restaurant.
“It’s sort of semi-casual,” he said.
“There’ll be dining in, inside and outside of the restaurant. We’re right in the corner next to the swim school.”
Mr Khosla said the nearby school precinct and passing foot traffic were also part of the appeal.
“With the school right next door, I’m hoping to bring in people in the younger generation, a lot of school-going kids,” he said.
The entrepreneur, who moved to the Sunshine Coast from New Zealand in 2014 after a corporate banking career, said the project was also driven by a bigger idea – helping teach children about business and money.
“This project was going to be for my son,” he said.
“I wanted to teach him how to run a business. I really had a vision of passing on the knowledge of running a store.”
Mr Khosla said he had also considered turning the concept into a broader community project involving children aged 10 to 16 learning how businesses operate.
“I want to give back to community by teaching kids how to do business,” he said.
“I have an idea for an educator to come in once a week and have a board meeting with them. The kids would decide what the sales price is going to be, who the supplier is going to be, what uniforms they’re going to wear – all those questions businesses go through.”
He said he believed giving young people those skills early could help create future entrepreneurs and employers.
“If schools were teaching these things, it would be a whole different story,” he said.
Mr Khosla said the long-term goal was to build Flavino into a recognised brand, with the first restaurant laying the foundation.
“Having it right the first time is essential to making a second one,” he said.
Flavino is located at Shop E02/1 Edwards Terrace, Stockland Shopping Centre, and is open 11am to 9pm, seven days a week.
