The latest venue at 427 Church Street in Richmond (just south of Swan Street) recently has opened its doors.

Designed by March Studio (www.marchstudio.com.au), as was the Ormond site, the fit-out references suburban life in the 1970s. It was a period when Greeks were establishing themselves in the second wave of migrants coming from Europe after World War II.

The glazed facade was replaced with cream-coloured brick portals, evocative of some of the arched brick porticos many Greek families added to what were once Victorian homes.

"We looked at the work of Howard Arkley (renowned for his highly stylistic suburban scene of triple-brick-fronted homes)," says architect Rodney Eggleston, director of March Studio, who has worked closely with project architect Garth Ancher.

"The butcher's flaps (often a feature of the back door) are also reminiscent of this period," Ancher says.

Unlike a restaurant or cafe, where clients can spend an hour or two having a meal, Jimmy Grants in Richmond is essentially a takeaway venue, where people queue to order, wait briefly for that order, or spend a short time eating their souvlaki seated at a bar. Unlike a cafe, where a variety of seating styles is provided, here it's either at the bar or on benches and side tables on the perimeter.

One of the most important design features at Jimmy Grants is the 10-metre-long raised passage leading to the order counter.

"The last thing we wanted to do was to have people queuing on the pavement," says Eggleston, who has included built-in benches along one wall to allow those waiting for orders to sit in comfort, rather than stand.

However, those with a spare half hour or so would be advised to take a seat and enjoy the decor as well as the food.

"Seating is critical in a place like this. Getting the right mixture of seating is so important," he says.

March Studio has not only referenced the brick arches from the 1970s, but also other popular interior hallmarks of the time. So there's original vintage patterned wallpapers, together with pictures and wall plates sourced from second-hand stores.

And to create distinct sight paths to the open kitchen to the rear of the premises, March Studio has included a series of arches made from a bronze, almost "faux" gold.

Framed with caramel tiles on the walls, the scheme is described by Eggleston as "suburban opulence".

As reminiscent of the period are the round glass lights crowning in each arch and reflected in the circular mirrored discs that appear to "float" below the ceiling.

"You can see these type of lights in many homes from the 1970s, not just those lived in by the Greek population," says Eggleston, who has been keen to announce loudly to those following the practice's work that "March does arch".

This Jimmy Grants, which seats about 50 people, is not only delineated with arches, but signposted with Richmond street names: Sutton Grove, The Crofts and Church Street. Using a font from the period, each "street" sign not only adds character, but also guides staff taking orders.

And what could be more nostalgic than a hand-painted sign inside the front door with the words: "Welcome Home Sweet Home."