Sydney's sandwich sensation Kosta's Takeaway is bringing its legendary chef-crafted creations to Brisbane, marking the beloved brand's first interstate expansion. Opening at Gasworks Plaza in Newstead in February 2026, the news has sandwich enthusiasts across the River City buzzing with anticipation.
Founder Benji Terkalas started his hospitality journey at just 14 years old when his grandmother secured him a position at Navarra Venues. After years of refining his craft through various establishments including Beejays, The Tuckshop, and high-end cafe LABLD, Terkalas experienced a crisis of passion. He took time out to rediscover his love for the industry by working in restaurants he admired—sometimes just washing dishes.
What emerged from that period was Kosta's Takeaway, which opened in 2021 out the front of his father's Rockdale smash repair shop during the pandemic. The concept was simple but executed brilliantly: chef-made sandwiches with true hospitality served through a window. The result was instant success, with shops in Rosebery, Circular Quay, Elizabeth Street, and Martin Place following in quick succession.
"I've been watching the food scene in Brisbane for five or six years," Terkalas says. "Brisbane has this real positivity to it; it makes me feel young in the trade again."
The Brisbane menu will feature Kosta's classics including the salad schiacciata, tuna melt, and most notably, the positively enormous panko-crumbed chicken schnitzel sandwich with its secret VIP sauce—a creation that Sydney reviewers have described as "big as your head." Bread comes from The Bread Social, while coffee is supplied by Canberra's acclaimed Ona.
To celebrate the opening, Kosta's is giving away 100 free sandwiches on day one, free coffee all day on day two, and free doughnuts in partnership with Bread Social on day three. Brisbane's sandwich game just got significantly more competitive.