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Happy Shop by Happyfield

New from Happyfield comes Happy Shop. All the American diner-style hits, now in takeaway form.

The goal for Chris Theodosi and Jesse Orleans — owners of neighbourhood favourite Happyfield — was to distil everything that makes the original location special into a takeaway format. Working alongside the pair and designer Matt Woods, we helped bring that vision to life. Happy Shop’s fit-out channels a retro American diner aesthetic with a modern, nostalgic edge. Inspired by classic drive-ins and old-school fast-food joints, the space has been carefully stripped back and reimagined within its heritage shell. New flooring, a refreshed courtyard and a purpose-built service window for efficient counter ordering, combine to create a venue that feels both familiar and fresh — a natural extension of the Happyfield experience.
2025
Haberfield
<$1m
90 sqm
“It’s like what a fast-food restaurant was before they franchised.” – Chris Theodosi, Broadsheet

Let’s build something exceptional.

Grandfather’s

An instant classic, Grandfather’s is a 140-seater Chinese restaurant in the heart of Sydney’s CBD

Walking between the twin Fu Dog statues and through the doors at Angel Place feels like stepping back in time. Green ANVIL collaborated closely with venue owners Andy Tyson, Mikey Clift and Dan Pepperell, alongside designer Matt Woods, to bring their vision to life.

A bold red-and-black palette sets the tone. Guests step down into the main dining room, where sunken booths line the left-hand side, while a concealed kitchen and additional dining areas unfold to the right. At the centre of the L-shaped space, a striking bar takes pride of place, illuminated by a custom stepped-glass-style light with a soft milk finish. Blue-lit aquariums serve as subtle dividers, creating distinct zones and an intimate atmosphere despite the venue’s generous scale.

2025
CBD Sydney
$2-$3m
350 sqm

Construction brought its own complexities. The site is surrounded by high-traffic venues, including the Merivale Ivy precinct at the rear and a late-trading pub at the front. Operating seven days a week, the restaurant’s finishes needed to balance refinement with durability — elevated enough to realise the design vision, yet robust enough to withstand the steady flow of lunch and dinner services. With an August opening deadline to capitalise on the upcoming Summer period, timing was critical. Delivered on schedule and within budget, the project allowed the venue to launch with impact, earn accolades and quickly establish itself as a favourite.

“Red-shirted floor staff buzz through the loosely L-shaped room, showing you to your booth, bar seat or table, picking out the stars from the menus, ferrying plates back and forth from the hidden kitchen. Red and black carpet zigzags underfoot, and muted lighting keeps everything warm. The space glows red, contrasting with the blue-toned fish tanks decorating the venue” – Broadsheet

Commercial Builders Restaurant Fitouts

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The Rover

A bustling neighbourhood venue serving world class seasonal cocktails, freshly shucked oysters and beautifully curated bistro classics across two levels.

2022
Surry Hills
<$1m
80 sqm

Green ANVIL simply does not cut corners. The long-term success of our venues is a direct result of this approach, and it is why we continue to engage them and look forward to working together again on future projects.

James Bradey – Director, Liquid Larder
Commercial Builders Restaurant Fitouts

Let’s build something exceptional.

Enmore Hotel

Bringing back a 70’s-style front bar to a neighbourhood classic.

Working with How High, we brought a clear, grounded vision to life for the Enmore Hotel’s front bar — a place built for locals. Cold beer poured well, hot pies served fast, and a room that encourages conversation to linger longer than planned.

Built in 1879, the Enmore Hotel’s original central bar had reached the end of its working life. Green Anvil was engaged to strip it back and rebuild from the ground up, re-establishing the bar as the functional and social heart of the pub. The works included a full reconstruction of the bar with stone benchtops finished in retro polished chrome edging, a custom tiled bar façade, bespoke back-bar joinery, and integrated stainless steel elements to discreetly house services and equipment.

Every detail was delivered with durability, heritage sensitivity and daily trade in mind — robust, honest and made to last. The fit-out was completed in collaboration with Urban Fitouts, resulting in a front bar that feels both refreshed and comfortably familiar, exactly as a great local should.

2020
Enmore
<$1m
30 sqm
“You can pull up a stool at the front bar or you may opt for a seat in the sunlit public bar, which is fitted with orange chenille high-top seats and banquettes punctuated by tall windows looking out onto Enmore Road. There’s an AC/DC pinball machine, a glowing jukebox and – if you’ve come to watch the footy – there’s a dedicated sports section with screens and a grandstand for the full viewing experience.” – Broadsheet

Let’s build something exceptional.

Bistecca

A classic Italian cocktail bar and steak restaurant, located beneath Sydney’s CBD focusing on a single cut of meat.

Guests arrive via a discreet rear-lane entry, stepping first into a low-lit bar that sets the pace rather than announces itself. It’s a moment to pause — an aperitif in hand — before being drawn through to the main dining room. Here, crafted domed ceilings lift the space just enough, while a central hearth anchors the room and focuses the experience. The journey concludes through an intimate wine room, wrapped in dark timber cladding, offering a quieter finish to the evening.

Each space is deliberately distinct yet tightly connected, with proportion, materiality and flow carefully resolved to feel intimate without constraint. Classic black-and-white chequered floors sit alongside Italian marble bar tops, bentwood chairs and timber banquettes upholstered in striped fabrics. Framed photographs line the walls, adding warmth and familiarity — subtle references to time spent in Italy, interpreted through a measured, contemporary lens.

2018
Sydney CBD
$1-2m
250 sqm
“There’s real charm about the small 50-set room and its open hearth, butcher’s block, domed brick-clad ceiling and black-and-white tiled floor.” Terry Durack, Senior Reviewer, Good Food Guide
Set within a heritage frontage on Bridge Street, Bistecca unfolds across three tightly curated spaces — a cocktail bar, 50-seat dining room and adjoining wine store — capturing the confidence and intimacy of a classic Italian ristorante. Working closely with Tom Mark Henry, we helped realise a layered dining journey, creating varied rooms and seating moments that invite movement, atmosphere and occasion. The venue has since earned wide recognition across food, culture and design publications.

One of our earliest and most challenging projects with Green ANVIL was Bistecca. The build presented significant constraints due to limited access and the complexity of solid-fuel cooking requirements. Their ability to liaise effectively with multiple consultants and contractors, rigorously test options, and manage both rising costs and pressure was instrumental in successfully delivering the venue.

Bistecca has since become one of the most in-demand restaurants in Australia, far exceeding our initial expectations. This success is due in no small part to the exceptional execution of a highly demanding and unique design, delivered to a standard that continues to withstand intensive daily use. Now operating seven days a week for lunch and dinner, the venue is entering its eighth year with only minor maintenance required.

Green ANVIL simply does not cut corners. The long-term success of our venues is a direct result of this approach, and it is why we continue to engage them and look forward to working together again on future projects.

James Bradey – Director, Liquid Larder
Commercial Builders Restaurant Fitouts

Let’s build something exceptional.

Valentinas

Building out an American-style diner in a Marrickville pocket.

The best all-day breakfast spot in town.

Behind an old-school green and white facade complete with striped awnings and hand lettered signage by Lynes and Co lies an interior inspired by road tripping through the USA.

The project involved the build of a central dining space, elevated bar seating and installation of a commercial kitchen. Custom joinery, olive green banquette seating, terrazzo floors, curved stucco ceilings and brass fixtures give Valentinas its 70s vibe.

2021
Marrickville
<$1m
70 sqm
“The charm of heartland American diner meets the best of Australian cafe culture at the much-hyped Marrickville spot” – Concrete Playground

Let’s build something exceptional.

The Gidley

Down a set of dimly-lit stairs, you’ll find The Gidley, an opulent steak house in the classic New York Style.

The Gidley is a study in restraint—quietly confident, richly layered and built to be discovered. The brief drew on early Sydney character rather than mimicry, borrowing cues from Colonial and Federation homes to create a venue that feels familiar yet elusive. The plan unfolds like a series of connected moments: a central arched corridor anchors the space, with rooms branching off and revealing themselves gradually. Sightlines are carefully framed, withholding just enough to spark curiosity and reward return visits. It’s a venue designed to slow you down—inviting guests to wander, linger and lose their bearings in the best possible way. As builders, our role was to translate that intent into form: tight junctions, controlled lighting, and precise sequencing that allows the architecture to do the storytelling without ever shouting.
2019
Sydney CBD
$1-2m
360 sqm
A sequence of intimate rooms unfolds through layered hallways and pass-throughs. From the Lounge Bar’s quiet corners and curtained booths to the main Dining Room’s velvet banquettes and marble wine island, the venue is rounded out by a private Wine Room and the richly detailed Norfolk Room for hosting and celebration.
Materiality carries the mood. Dark timber veneers, herringbone floors and moody stone finishes ground the space, while velvet upholstery and drapery add softness and weight. Traditional carpets, layered florals and botanical motifs sit alongside unexpected colour moments in banquettes and booths. Curtains create privacy and zoning, reinforcing a sense of warmth and domestic scale. The result is cohesive but never predictable—a richly built interior where detail, texture and craft combine to form a venue with depth, intrigue and longevity.

With more than 25 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, including time spent in design and project management, I can say without hesitation that Green ANVIL’s level of professionalism consistently exceeds the typical transactional relationship between contractor and client. One of their greatest strengths is their early contractor involvement, particularly their willingness to workshop concept designs to assess cost-effective feasibility and practical construction methodologies.

Green ANVIL simply does not cut corners. The long-term success of our venues is a direct result of this approach, and it is why we continue to engage them and look forward to working together again on future projects.

James Bradey – Director, Liquid Larder
Commercial Builders Restaurant Fitouts

Let’s build something exceptional.

Alfie’s

Here for a good time, not a long time. The classic steakhouse, reimagined.

Alfie’s is unapologetically tight, fast and theatrical — and it demanded a build that could keep pace. From the outset, the brief was clear: strip the traditional steakhouse back to its raw components and rebuild it with attitude. Exposed process, bold finishes and a sense of controlled chaos sit at the heart of the venue.

The dry-age room becomes part of the dining experience, glowing red and fully visible, while the bar and dining spaces blur into one high-energy room. Detailing is deliberate but irreverent, with art, lighting and acoustics tuned to amplify the atmosphere rather than soften it.

Inspired by the underbelly of East London, Alfie’s rejects excess in favour of precision — fast service, sharp edges and no wasted movement. Our role was to deliver that intent faithfully, coordinating complex services, finishes and sequencing to ensure the space hits hard from the moment the doors open.

2023
Sydney CBD
$1-2m
230 sqm
Another project completed for Liquid & Larder, designed by Tom Mark Henry. Alfie’s strips back the rarified energy of the traditional steakhouse and puts in its place an East London inspired haunt complete with communal bar, butchery and dining spaces.

Over the years, I have worked with numerous members of the Green ANVIL team, from Director Sam O’Flaherty through to project managers, site foremen, leading hands, and labourers. Across all levels, they share the same core values: transparency, honesty, diligence, and respect for their surroundings. A quality I have particularly valued—especially from Sam—is his direct, no-nonsense approach. The absence of sugar-coating or unnecessary optimism has repeatedly helped guide the design development process, enabling informed decisions that ultimately resulted in better outcomes delivered as efficiently as possible.

Green ANVIL simply does not cut corners. The long-term success of our venues is a direct result of this approach, and it is why we continue to engage them and look forward to working together again on future projects.

James Bradey – Director, Liquid Larder
Commercial Builders Restaurant Fitouts

Let’s build something exceptional.

Caterpillar Club

A complex underground build with the end result calling to mind the 1930’s in its heyday

The Caterpillar Club was about translating Swillhouse’s ambition into a highly layered, late-night venue that feels immersive, tactile and effortless to occupy. Working beneath Pitt Street, we delivered a complex underground build that balanced heritage character with modern performance, coordinating structure, services, acoustics and finishes within a tight footprint and program. Close collaboration with Swillhouse and the wider creative team ensured the venue sat comfortably alongside their established Sydney institutions, including Le Foote and Hubert, while carving out its own identity.

The project involved careful sequencing to support bespoke interior elements, hand-finished surfaces and the installation of extensive joinery, including the bar-length vinyl archive. Live-music performance requirements, late-night food service and multiple atmospheric zones — from the Den to the Bamboo Room — demanded precision in detailing and coordination. The result is a richly textured, high-energy space built to endure long nights, heavy use and constant movement, without ever feeling overworked.

2024
CBD Sydney
$3-4m
430 sqm
A rollicking late night cocktail bar and restaurant in Sydney’s Pitt Street, Caterpillar Club features one of the world’s largest private vinyl record music collections.
Green Anvil carefully managed budgets, testing ideas and offering clear, practical cost advice without compromising quality. Close coordination with architects, engineers and consultants kept momentum on site, supported by a collaborative, good-humoured team. The result was an exceptionally detailed, design-led hospitality venue delivered with professionalism, care and pride.

From the outset, bringing Green Anvil in early as contractor added real value. Being able to workshop buildability, staging and methodology together, early and openly, gave us confidence as the projects took shape and helped navigate the inevitable complexity that comes with ambitious hospitality builds.

They were thoughtful and engaged around budget creation and management, pressure-testing ideas as designs evolved and giving clear, practical cost feedback along the way. This helped us make informed decisions without losing sight of the quality and detail that mattered to us.

Green Anvil worked closely with our architects, engineers and consultants, coordinating issues as they arose and keeping things moving on site. Their teams were patient, good-humoured and collaborative, even when pressure was high. Overall, they are great people.

Both venues were delivered to an exceptional standard, with strong attention to detail across finishes, joinery and coordination. While no complex project is without its moments, the overall experience was positive, professional, and we were stoked with the final outcome.

I’d recommend Green Anvil to clients looking for an early-engagement contractor who brings experience, teamwork and care to detailed, design-led projects.

Anton Forte – Managing Director, Swillhouse
Commercial Builders Restaurant Fitouts

Let’s build something exceptional.

Le Foote

Transforming one of Sydney’s oldest venues and creating a lively restaurant and wine bar space with attention to heritage detail.

Working with Swillhouse to bring their vision of part Parisian wine bar, part ‘Mediterranean Grill’ to life in a historic space in Sydney’s The Rocks. The former site of multiple venues since the late 1800’s, the most recent being Phillip’s Foot, Le Foote is now home to an atmospheric restaurant and bar space.
2023
The Rocks
$3-4m
300 sqm
From early planning through to completion, Green Anvil played a key role in the successful delivery of Le Foote. Early contractor involvement allowed buildability, staging and methodology to be openly workshopped, providing confidence as the design and complexity evolved.
Green Anvil carefully managed budgets, testing ideas and offering clear, practical cost advice without compromising quality. Close coordination with architects, engineers and consultants kept momentum on site, supported by a collaborative, good-humoured team. The result was an exceptionally detailed, design-led hospitality venue delivered with professionalism, care and pride.

From the outset, bringing Green Anvil in early as contractor added real value. Being able to workshop buildability, staging and methodology together, early and openly, gave us confidence as the projects took shape and helped navigate the inevitable complexity that comes with ambitious hospitality builds.

They were thoughtful and engaged around budget creation and management, pressure-testing ideas as designs evolved and giving clear, practical cost feedback along the way. This helped us make informed decisions without losing sight of the quality and detail that mattered to us.

Green Anvil worked closely with our architects, engineers and consultants, coordinating issues as they arose and keeping things moving on site. Their teams were patient, good-humoured and collaborative, even when pressure was high. Overall, they are great people.

Both venues were delivered to an exceptional standard, with strong attention to detail across finishes, joinery and coordination. While no complex project is without its moments, the overall experience was positive, professional, and we were stoked with the final outcome.

I’d recommend Green Anvil to clients looking for an early-engagement contractor who brings experience, teamwork and care to detailed, design-led projects.

Anton Forte – Managing Director, Swillhouse
Commercial Builders Restaurant Fitouts

Let’s build something exceptional.