Opening a competing venue less than a kilometre from your existing eatery might not sound like the best business move, but owner Kim Malouf is challenging that idea.

The brains behind Toowong’s ever popular Corner Store Cafe, has just launched Pitch & Fork, literally down the road on Sylvan Rd at the Wests Bulldogs Rugby Club.

With queues out the door every weekend at Corner Store, the new venture was designed to take some of the customer overflow, and locals are clearly happy with the decision.

The vast indoor-outdoor eatery, looks over the football club’s well-watered fields, with diners sitting underneath lofty red brick archways in the beautiful, architectural building. Even on a steamy summer’s day, the open, airy space is cool and inviting with its rows of modern, Scandi-style tables and chairs. There’s also banquet seating inside, with a smart, industrial space overlooking the kitchen.

Open only for breakfast and lunch, the menu offers simple food done well. Think pesto scambled eggs with leg ham off the bone, sourdough toast, roast tomato and relish or a bacon and egg roll with house-made HP sauce, tomato, lettuce and aioli on a focaccia bun for breakfast, or lunches like cauliflower falafel with hummus, silverbeet, fried eggplant and pita bread, a pumpkin risotto, or a veal parmigiana burger.

The least traditional of the breakfast dishes is the bacon croquettes ($20.50), with crisp, breadcrumb-coated potato and bacon dumplings deep fried til golden served on a mass of sweet creamed corn topped with al dente green beans, two perfectly poached eggs and a dill-infused aioli. It’s a delicious, yet decadent dish that’s best shared to avoid feeling weighed down.

In contrast is the hot house-smoked ocean trout and potato omelet ($22.50). A perfectly folded egg envelope this is not, rather it arrives a tangle of almost scrambled egg, flaked trout, diced roasted potato, smashed artichoke and just-caramelised onions that sings of Scandinavia. It is punchy and bold, with the artichoke adding acidity to the creamy egg and trout.

Coffee is available in all possible guises, while tea comes from organic fair trade label Calmer Sutra. Then there’s the juices, smoothies and shakes, that range from the ginger-heavy “Green Machine” with its nutritious blend of kale, cucumber, mint, celery and apple, to the indulgent raspberry cheesecake milkshake combining cream cheese, raspberries, vanilla ice cream, lemon zest and Arnott’s biscuits.

Setting Pitch & Fork apart from many of its competitors is its service. Smooth and well-timed, the dishes head out of the kitchen with speed despite an almost full restaurant and are delivered by a team of genuinely friendly, helpful staff. It’s this and the venue’s inviting setting that are sure to see the place swarming come rugby season.

This review originally appeared on couriermail.com.au.