Roku Den still rolls its own way a decade on

It was a “false sense of confidence” that first gave life to Roku Den in 2015.

When Anthony Gist signed the lease on its Bell Street home, he didn’t even have a plan to build the place.

“I was sitting there trying to figure it out and there were two chippies, Max and Jack, next door working on the surf shop. I was like, ‘Hey, when you guys are done with this, what are you doing?’

“They ended up actually helping me build the restaurant — and we didn’t have a clue.”

 

 

A decade on, that same fearless energy still drives the Surf Coast institution, which will next month celebrate a milestone few venues reach.

“It’s been amazing,” Gist says. “All of a sudden you look up and realise, we’re rolling into 10 years.

“I mean, 98 per cent of new businesses go out of business within the first three years, so I feel quite a bit lucky.”

The road has been marked by both trials and tribulations, but Gist has forged a strong reputation, one built on consistency, resilience and community.

“Like anything in life that challenges you, you have to grow and adapt, and I think that’s probably the biggest thing that’s allowed us to get the 10 years.

 

 

“I just kept trying to be consistent and provide good quality food at an affordable price with a great atmosphere, and that’s still what we do today.

“The core of it all has stayed true all the way through. [I] let my food speak for itself…and I think over that time we’ve earned enough respect and loyalty. It’s been a good ride.”

One thing he prides himself on is a menu free from preservatives. It boasts a range of house-made sauces, he had to recruit a food scientist to create.

“I guarantee we’re one of the few restaurants that still do that,” Gist says.

“It cost me a lot more…but morally, I know that I’m serving something that if the kids are eating it, they’re eating healthy, good food.”

 

 

Raised in Los Angeles, Gist spent his youth filming and editing skateboard videos. Short on cash, he got a night job making sushi. It soon became a passion.

Drawn to Torquay’s beaches and laidback lifestyle, Gist made the move from his home in Los Angeles in 2010.

“I knew I always wanted to live next to the ocean,” he says. “I grew up in LA, so traffic, hustle and bustle, everybody’s got something to prove, everybody wants to drive big fancy cars.

“I came here, and everyone was driving s***boxes and just having a good time, and I was like, ‘Epic; this is so good’.”

When Roku Den opened its doors in 2015, Torquay’s dining scene was still finding its flavour. A pioneer, Gist helped introduce Japanese-inspired cuisine to a coastal community better known for its fish and chips and pub meals.

 

 

“One thing that I underestimated a little bit about Torquay is it was such a surf, snow, skate culture,” he says. “They love to travel; they’re explorers, they’re adventure people.

“I think that really played to my benefit because they were going to Japan to go snowboarding, they were going to Indo to go surfing, and they experienced other cuisine, so they weren’t as gun shy about it.”

Today, Torquay boasts a diverse dining scene, with everything from sleek wine bars and beachfront cafes to fine dining restaurants and thriving breweries.

Gist is quick to celebrate the town’s evolution.

“There’s so many cool people doing good stuff, and I think it’s power in numbers.

 

 

“We have an amazing little [hospitality] community, and the other awesome thing is that nobody has ever turned their back on me, or they’ve always put their hand out to help.

“I’m very grateful to be in a community where we’re all in it together and we support each other. I got time for everybody…and it just adds such a good atmosphere to the town.”

But it is his own pursuit of growth that brings him the most satisfaction.

“I try to do something to fuel me every day to get up and keep doing what I’m doing. Creating food and being in the venue, I love that.

 

 

“It’s like a relationship in the sense that it has its ups and downs. But you’ve always got to keep coming back with something else that you appreciate and finding the different phases of life and everything to keep that fresh.”

To celebrate the milestone anniversary, throughout November “golden ticket” gift certificates will be hidden in spots around the venue for patrons to find.

“[It’s] a little random surprise to say thank you for the support and give back,” Gist says. For more information, head to rokuden.com.au