Crafting Culinary Dreams: A Flavourful Encounter with the Creative Mind Behind Frida Sol and Bonita Bonita

For more than five years, Frida Sol and Bonita Bonita have graced the Gold Coast as quintessential Mexican dining destinations. Diego’s journey with these establishments as a supplier has been nothing short of exceptional, as they continue to thrive and enrich Gold Coast’s culinary landscape. These two ventures are trailblazers, among the first Mexican restaurants to capture the essence of Instagram-worthy aesthetics and deliver truly authentic flavours.

Renowned for their vibrant ambiance and genuine culinary offerings, Frida Sol and Bonita Bonita have solidified their positions as premier Mexican culinary havens on the Gold Coast. To not experience their offerings would be a missed opportunity to indulge in the finest Mexican cuisine.

We recently ran into Ryan while dining at Frida Sol and so we thought who better to have on this Month’s EDM that the visionary behind both of these remarkable establishments. Our discussion ranged from the intricacies of running a thriving business to the artistry of crafting exceptional tacos so, let’s get into it!

What inspired you to open Mexican Restaurants?

 Because who doesn’t love Tacos and Margaritas.

How long have you called the Gold Coast home?

I’m from NZ, I have been here about 15 years.

How long have you been in the restaurant game?

I have been in the restaurant game since 2005.

Corn or flour for your taco? 

 Flour tortilla for sure!

Frida Sol and Bonita Bonita are unique names for restaurants, can you give us the background on how they came to be the names of this restaurant?

Frida Sol-  How I came up with Frida Sol is a funny story actually, I was actually sitting in Bonita with some friends and I was drinking a SOL beer, looking around at the artwork of Frida Kahlo on the walls and thought hang on this ties together well – Frida “Sol”

Bonita Bonita- It means beautiful beautiful in Spanish.

When was Frida Sol and Bonita Bonita opened?

Frida Sol – 2018.

Bonita Bonita – opened in 2014 but I(Ryan) took over in 2016.

With so many delectable dishes on the menus it can be hard to choose just one, do you find there is a clear favourite with guests or is it evenly split across the board?

All of the food is absolutely delicious at both! However The Nachos are definitely a clear favourite at Frida! At Bonita it has to be our Grilled corn and Tacos.

With so many options these days for tortilla suppliers, what is it that drew you to using Diego’s?

Definitely the authenticity along with the flavour and quality.

As a restaurant that also hosts events, have there been any recent memorable events you have hosted?

 Our Events Manager Casey, has hosted many great events across both restaurants, we often host Birthdays, weddings, baby showers etc, however we also host large scale events – one however that stands out was a PR company from Sydney, had organised a party with Casey for Day of the dead in collaboration with patron tequila where Peking duck ended up Dj-ing on our terrace at Frida Sol, that was pretty wild!

Could you provide insights into the elements you’ve incorporated in the construction and design of Frida Sol and Bonita Bonita that capture the essence of the Mexican inspiration?

Frida Sol- The interior mimics almost a Baja theme.

Where as Bonita, gives a grungy dark/ moody aesthetic, with candles/ traditional crosses etc that makes it feel a bit like old school Mexico.

Could you offer some insights into the distinctive features between Bonita Bonita and Frida Sol?

Frida Sol-  Light, fresh, modern.

Bonita- Dark, Moody, intimate.