Justin Hemmes fires back in rare public response after diners accuse him of copying beloved Melbourne Thai restaurant

Merivale billionaire Justin Hemmes has made a rare public clapback after Melbourne diners accused him of copying one of the city's most beloved Thai restaurants.

The hospitality mogul, 54, found himself at the centre of a social media storm after unveiling Stir Fry 100, his latest dining venture, which is taking over the former home of cult Melbourne restaurant Soi 38.

But rather than ignore the criticism, Justin personally waded into the comments section to defend his new establishment, insisting the concept was entirely different.

The drama erupted after Hemmes shared a behind-the-scenes tour of the restaurant on Instagram, with the video attracting more than 368,000 views. 

'Dear Melbourne, I'd like to introduce our first food venue in your wonderful city. Welcome to Stir Fry 100……including the disco dunny!!! I hope you love,' he captioned the post.

The Sydney businessman appeared excited as he welcomed followers inside the restaurant, which is located in a CBD car park once occupied by the hugely popular Thai eatery Soi 38.

'Melbourne, come and check out our first food venue. I hope you like it,' he began.

Hemmes proudly showed off the venue's open kitchen, fresh produce displays, bustling cooking stations and quirky interiors, explaining that he wanted diners to experience the atmosphere of Southeast Asian street food markets.

'We've created these vistas from the main dining, so when you're in there, you can see all the action of the kitchen,' he explained.

'Everything is fresh daily, and the chefs literally grab the produce out of here and it goes straight into the woks.'

He also revealed the unlikely inspiration behind the venue's design.

'So we're actually in a car park, which is sort of synonymous with the hawkers and the big food halls within Southeast Asia, and particularly in Taiwan,' he said.

The tour continued into the bathrooms, which Hemmes jokingly described as a 'disco dunny', before he sampled cocktails at the bar.

He finished by holding up a bottle of Melbourne Bitter, describing it as the perfect accompaniment to the Taiwanese-inspired restaurant.

However, while Hemmes was clearly thrilled with his latest project, some Melbourne food lovers were far less impressed.

Several critics quickly pointed out that the new restaurant occupies the same space previously made famous by Soi 38, which built a loyal following for its affordable Thai street food and unusual car park setting.

'You know you just copied Soi 38 that just vacated that space...' one disgruntled follower wrote.

In an unusually direct response, Hemmes personally addressed the accusation, explaining why he believed the comparison was unfair.

'Well Bradley, it's not a copy but rather a mod to the previous operator. It's a different cuisine. Taiwanese as opposed to Thai. Different country. And different fit out. But yes, it's the same space,' Justin said.

His decision to personally respond stood out, with the Merivale boss rarely engaging in such public exchanges with critics on social media.

But his explanation did little to stop others from sharing their disappointment.

'Preferred the Asian restaurant that was there before you,' another critic wrote.

A third appeared to take aim at the Merivale group's reputation for transforming hospitality venues into trendy dining destinations.

'What if we copied someone's authentic idea, ran low lighting, ambient but funky music, and then charged twice as much. Yawnnnn,' they wrote.

Another disappointed diner commented: 'Nooooooo. What happened to Soi 38?:('

Others questioned the restaurant's Taiwanese identity, with one asking: 'I'm confused what about this makes it Taiwanese?'

The backlash highlights the challenge facing Hemmes as he attempts to expand his Sydney-based hospitality empire into Melbourne's fiercely competitive restaurant scene.

Soi 38 became something of a Melbourne institution after opening in a CBD car park more than a decade ago, earning a loyal following for its traditional boat noodles, Thai street food and affordable dining experience.

The restaurant was founded by Chavalit 'Top' Piyaphanee and his wife Phawinee 'Tang' Suwankamnerd, who transformed the unlikely location into one of the city's best-known casual dining destinations.

However, despite the confusion among Hemmes' followers, Soi 38 has not closed permanently.

The restaurant relocated from its original car park home in late 2024, opening a larger venue at 235 Bourke Street, accessible via Royal Lane, where it continues to serve its signature Thai dishes.

Hemmes, meanwhile, is betting that his new Taiwanese concept can establish its own identity in the same unconventional setting.

Merivale has described Stir Fry 100 as a fast-paced, casual Taiwanese eatery offering authentic food in a relaxed, no-fuss environment, where diners can pull up a chair, stool or milk crate.

The opening marks another significant step in the hospitality group's Victorian expansion, following the launch of LB's Record Bar in Melbourne's Meyers Place and Totti's at the Lorne Hotel.

Hemmes has been steadily building his presence south of the border, investing heavily in Melbourne property as he looks to replicate the success of his Sydney hospitality empire.

His portfolio includes some of Sydney's best-known venues, including ivy, Mr Wong and Totti's.