The Wollongong cottage-style premises, long home to House of Thai Cuisine, has had a makeover, welcoming in white walls and sleek furnishings.

Sherley spent a month renovating the space before the eatery officially opened last week.

"The place was really run down so we knew it needed a bit of a refresh," he said.

"We've done a lot of painting, put in new toilets and a new kitchen and just made it look very simple - we wanted a very clean, casual look."

While owning a restaurant is a first for Sherley - hence the eatery's name - he's no stranger to Illawarra kitchens, having worked behind the oven for more than a decade.

He previously performed head chef roles at Lorenzo's Diner and Diggies but wanted to try his hand at running his own operation.

"It's something I've wanted to do for a while," he said.

"I'd been looking around, trying to find the right place in the right location.

"This came up and it felt right - it's a good size to start off with."

The restaurant seats 50, feeding diners fresh, local produce such as scallops, quail, duck and snapper.

Rookie is open from Wednesday to Saturday.