Row 1:
a & 4e. 210715Th-Fairfax-GoodFood-Brunswick – Beatbox Kitchen burger.shop
bc & 2c. Yagoona (Sydney) in 1971.
d. 201214M-Fairfax-cre-600HighSt-burger-fast.food
Row 2:
a. 210628M-Melbourne’HeraldSun’-burger.contest
b. Freshwater Place (Melbourne) in 2021.
d. 211103W-Melbourne’HeraldSun’-Betty’sBurgers
Row 3:
a. 210305-Melbourne’HeraldSun’ – Carl’s Jr Burger. Another USA chain, trying to break into the Australia market. All the products look the same: the only variations are the prices and the colour of the advertising.
b. 210905Su-Fairfax-GoodFood-burgers
c & 4f. 210916F-Fairfax-GoodFood-FiveGuys-burgers.
d. 211110W-Melbourne’Age’-Betty’sBurgers
Row 4:
abcd. 220216W & 17Th GoodFood – Wahlburger
Chicken dinner the site winner after burger chain flip. REBECCA HOLLAND DEC 14, 2020
600 High Street, Preston.
Charcoal chicken and kebab shop El Jannah has settled on a former Hungry Jack’s location for its first Melbourne outlet.
The retailer, which has eight stores in Sydney, has leased a 1300-square-metre privately owned site with a 130-square-metre building at 600 High Street, Preston.
Gray Johnson’s Rory White and Stephen Buchan negotiated the 10-year term with an annual rental of $140,000, 3 per cent annual increases and a rent-free period to complete the fit-out of the vacant property. “The lease also includes a clause that the rental will fully abate if there is another public health emergency or COVID-19-type trading shutdown,” Mr White said.
www.commercialrealestate.com.au/news/chicken-dinner-the-s…
Beatbox Kitchen’s Brunswick burger shop is closing down. EMMA BREHENY July 15 2021
Beatbox Kitchen’s Brunswick shopfront will close on July 18. Photo: Wayne Taylor
Raph Rashid’s American diner-inspired burger spot, Beatbox Kitchen, will close its doors this weekend after more than four years. The Sydney Road outlet was born out of a pioneering food truck of the same name, that became an instant hit in Melbourne after appearing at music festivals in 2009.
The closure was announced on Instagram. In a comment to Good Food, Rashid said the business had "landlord and Covid complications".
A second Gertrude Street store that opened in August 2018 called time just five months later, but the Brunswick location of Beatbox appeared to survive the brunt of Victoria’s lockdowns. That was, until late yesterday afternoon.
Snack-sized cheeseburgers and fries.
Beatbox Kitchen’s snack-sized cheeseburgers with a side of fries. Photo: Wayne Taylor
Beatbox became known for its stripped-back burgers that cast aside much of the additional fare that make Australian examples at times unwieldy. Beetroot, egg and, on some burgers, even lettuce were MIA.
Instead, Rashid obsessed over the composition of the patties, using grass-fed beef and suet, and ramping up the flavour with caramelised onion and his signature stereo sauce (mayonnaise spiked with dill pickle and cayenne). Vegetarians were also looked after, with the mushroom burger a go-to snack for many Melbourne herbivores.
The last burger will be served from Sydney Road on Sunday July 18. After that, you’ll have to catch the food truck when it’s out on the streets or head to sister venue Juanita Peaches, which has a cheeseburger and fried chicken burger on its menu alongside burritos.
692 Sydney Road Brunswick, 03 9386 5694, beatboxkitchen.com
www.goodfood.com.au/eat-out/news/beatbox-kitchens-brunswi…
Melbourne’s best hamburger chosen by pro-eater Cal Stubbs for LITT Burger of Origin. Kara Irving June 28, 2021
A potato cake and dim sim burger is among the four Melbourne finalists vying for the title of Australia’s best hamburger.
A potato cake and dim sim with fried onions.
This reads more like a teenager’s tuckshop order than the ingredients in one of Melbourne’s best burgers.
Pro-eater Cal Stubbs, Australia’s top competitive eater (and the world’s 9th), short-listed this wild Easey’s creation as chief judge of the LITT Burger of Origin Trophy competition.
South Yarra’s Hello Sam, Rosebud’s ItsaBurger and Brunswick West’s Rude Boy Burger were also named as finalists last week.
Stubbs, who grew up in Patterson Lakes, said professional competitive eating required a lot of training and stamina.
Cal Stubbs is judging the best burger in Australia for the Burger of Origin. Picture: Jonathan Ng.
“You train by drinking lots of water or eating foods that have high-water content like grapes, watermelon. You can’t train with steak, hot dogs or burgers as you’ll put on weight,” Stubbs said.
“The idea is to stretch the stomach in the weeks leading up to the competition.”
Stubbs tips the scales at 75kg and is in surprisingly good shape for someone who eats for a living.
“Most of Australia’s top eaters are super fit. They have all done body building competitions in the past and are mentally strong. The more fat you have around your gut, the less you can expand your stomach.”
Rude Boy Burger’s entry into the LITT Burger competition.
A quality protein, fresh salads and a sturdy bun are what Stubbs looks for in a good burger. Sydney, Gold Coast and Brisbane judging has been completed, with Stubbs travelling to Hobart and Perth before crowning the national winner in the coming weeks.
littburgeroforigin.com
video: How to get people back to Melbourne’s CBD. Melbourne’s top chefs Stephanie Alexander, Philippe Mouchel and Jacques Reymond and Melbourne Food and Wine Festival creative director Pat Nourse…
www.heraldsun.com.au/lifestyle/food/short-bites-melbourne…
* The best burgers in Melbourne are definitely Andrews in Albert Park.
Sat.12.6.21 Melbourne ‘Herald Sun’ A popular city McDonald’s has been closed for deep cleaning after a Covid positive person visited the restaurant.
A McDonald’s spokeswoman confirmed a positive case visited the Freshwater Place restaurant, a between 5.10pm and 5.20pm on Friday June 11.
The spokeswoman said the premises is a Tier 2 exposure site meaning anyone who visited during times listed should urgently get a COVID-19 test and isolate until they receive a negative result.
“The health and safety of our people and our customers is our priority. We have closed the restaurant for deep cleaning and notified employees in accordance with the Victorian Department of Health’s directions,” she said.
McDonald’s in Freshwater place was closed for a deep clean. Picture: Supplied
The Herald Sun witnessed the store being closed just before 2.30pm today. An employee confirmed they had been instructed to conduct a deep clean.
It’s not yet known if the closure is related to Saturday’s new mystery case – a man who lives in the City of Melbourne.
www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/seven-new-exposure-sit…
McDonald’s to open new Yagoona outlet 50 years after launching at the same site. SCOTT BOLLES July 16 2021
Macca’s opened its first Australian outlet in Yagoona in 1971. Photo: McDonald’s
Australia’s first Pizza Hut bulldozed in Belfield
With social media groups documenting the preservation of early Pizza Hut and KFC outlets in Australia, the grand-daddy site of the US fast food invasion is receiving a reboot from McDonald’s.
The Yagoona plot in Sydney where Macca’s opened its first Australian outlet in 1971 closed in 1994. An insurance company took up residence for a time, but in recent weeks construction work has started on the vacant block, with some tell-tale McDonald’s signage.
Dignitaries and McDonald’s executives at the opening of the brand’s first Australian restaurant in Yagoona. Photo: Roderick John Macrae/Fairfax Media
McDonald’s HQ confirmed it will open a new restaurant at the original site later this year, which happens to coincide with the first opening exactly half a century ago.
It won’t replicate the early 1970s, an age of pebblecrete and ubiquitous arches (not necessarily of the golden variety). But there will be a nod, with a display of images of the restaurant, a Macca’s timeline and a Happy Meal wall featuring toys from over the years.
Sydney Morning Herald columnist Leslie Walford attended the first launch. He seemed blissfully unaware of some of the McDonald’s quirks that have since become part of our everyday life and lexicon. Indeed, much of his report was devoted to the historic lineage of the burger and seasoned raw meat introduced by the Tartars.
The front counter 50 years ago. Photo: Fairfax Media
The USA ambassador of the day, Walter Rice, was at the launch, along with a mystery clown "holding balloons and wearing red and yellow striped stockings". Evidently, there wasn’t a Hamburglar in sight.
www.goodfood.com.au/eat-out/news/mcdonalds-to-open-new-ya…
Thurs.17.6.21 Melbourne ‘Herald Sun’ 50 cent Big Macs are a steal Hamburglar would be proud of. CAMERON ENGLAND
MCDONALD’S will cut the price of a Big Mac to just 50c on Friday, as it celebrates 50 years of operation in Australia.
The company, launched by Ray Kroc in Des Plaines Illinois in 1955, opened its first site in Australia in the Sydney suburb of Yangoona in 1971, and has grown to more than 1000 sites nationally.
McDonald’s Australia chief executive Andrew Gregory has been on the company’s board for 25 years and said there was a lot to celebrate.
“It’s a chance for us to say thank you to our customers for supporting us through all of this time and also thanks to our franchisees and employees,” he said.
“On Friday we’ve got the opportunity for customers to buy a Big Mac for 50c if they use the mymacca’s app.
“Then over the next couple of months we’ve got a whole range of different promotions celebrating our core menu, and also teaming up with some iconic brands in Australia to produce a whole bunch of different limited edition collectibles.
“You’ll see them come out over the next 10 to 12 weeks.’’
Mr Gregory said McDonald’s Australia had been an innovator within the global firm, with the McCafe – the first of which was opened in Melbourne in 1993 – now representing the gold standard for Maccas around the world with more than 900 outlets in Australia. “It’s now the way that the McDonald’s business, across the 100 or so markets, sells coffee,’’ he said.
Mr Gregory said McDonald’s had also pioneered the use of drive-through outlets in Australia, which were now widespread. He said McDonald’s had injected more than $9bn into the Australian agriculture sector over its 50 years.
McDonalds: Big queues as fans snap up 50c Big Macs for birthday celebrations. Kiel Egging June 18, 2021 Knox Leader
WATCH: Big queues are forming at McDonalds stores around Melbourne as fast food lovers snap up cheap Big Macs.
video: Queues at Wantirna Maccas Drive-Thru. Fast food fans pack Wantirna’s McDonalds as they offer 50c Big Macs to celebrate 50 years in Australia on June 18, 2021.
Maccas lovers are packing out their local restaurants to snap up a cheap burger to celebrate the fast food chain’s milestone event in Australia.
The golden arches are offering 50c Big Macs to celebrate its 50th anniversary of opening its first Australian store on June 18, 1971.
The offer, which runs until midnight, is limited to the 500,000 customers around the country through its MyMaccas app.
McDonald’s is offering 50c Big Macs to celebrate its 50th birthday in Australia on June 18, 2021. Picture: McDonald’s
At Wantirna’s McDonalds’s restaurant on Wantirna Rd and Mountain Highway, drive-through queues stretched to up to 10 cars at a time around 1.30pm.
Other customers opted to park in the carpark and head in store to avoid the queues.
Heathmont customer Andrew said he’d been waiting for about five minutes to get to the drive-through speaker and dropped in especially to get his cheap burger.
“I was in the area … I’m starting to think if it worth it,” Andrew said.
“It’s a bit ridiculous, but it doesn’t worry me too much.”
Wantirna’s Ben, 19, ordered online in advance to beat the queues.
“It’s a cool deal, so I thought why not take advantage,” he said.
“I’ve been following online and some places have been pretty bad (with queues)”.
The fast food giant opened its first Australian restaurant in Yagoona, NSW in 1971, and now has 1009 restaurants across the country.
McDonalds opened its first Victorian restaurant in Glen Waverley’s on September 12, 1973, at the corner of High St and Springvale Rd.
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www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/outer-east/mcdonalds-big-queu…
McDonald’s is opening 100 new stores across Australia with thousands of jobs, new stores. Andrew Koubaridis June 26, 2021 News Corp Australia Network 92 comments
McDonald’s is about to inject $600m into the Australian economy with 100 new stores and a changing menu. See if it’s coming to your suburb.
video: McDonald’s clever eating hack. A TikTok user has revealed the genius way to eat fast food one-handed in your car without making a mess.
The lust for burgers is only getting bigger with McDonald’s planning to open 100 new stores and inject $600 million into the Australian economy.
The fast food chain will go on a building spree in the next three years with new restaurants across Australia – and in doing so will employ an extra 12,000 people.
The first 27 restaurants are in the planning stages and are being rolled out this year across the country – seven each in Queensland and New South Wales, six in Victoria, three in South Australia and four in Western Australia.
The new restaurants will have heavy focus on three key areas.
Josh Bannister, Senior Director of Growth Platforms at McDonald’s, said drive through, digital and delivery were already popular with consumers and they would continue to be a big part of the new McDonald’s in the future.
About 12,000 new jobs will be created in 100 new McDonald’s stores Picture: Sarah Matray
“Our customers challenge us to evolve everyday and really push us, they are a huge part of our brand, as are our franchisees, they are crucial to our success,” Mr Bannister said.
“The convenience of digital [contactless service in store] delivery and drive through have really heightened during the Covid period and those channels allow customers to access Maccas on their own terms…we do expect to continue to see demand in these areas.”
Mr Bannister said McDonald’s was celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and was looking ahead “with great anticipation towards the next 50”.
“We have some fantastic growth ahead of us.”
Customers have flocked to delivery and drive through options during the pandemic.
McDonald’s was celebrating its 50th with a series of promotions, including changes to its menu with new burgers and desserts.
“We also have some great collaborations with well known Australian brands as well as the menu items,” he said.
McDonald’s is the largest employer of young people in Australia, with every new restaurant creating 120 new jobs for its local community.
Almost 3000 new jobs will be created in the 27 communities the new restaurants are opening in this year.
NEW STORES
NSW
McDonald’s Unanderra, Wollongong, opening early July
McDonald’s Rhodes, Sydney, opening late July
VICTORIA
McDonald’s Wollert North, Melbourne, opening later this year
McDonald’s Armstrong Creek, Geelong, opening later this year
QUEENSLAND
McDonald’s Andergrove, Mackay, opening later this year
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
McDonald’s Nuriootpa, opening later this year
McDonald’s Bolivar, opening later this year
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
McDonald’s Malvern Springs, opening later this year
More:
What it takes to secure a Macca’s outlet
Videos show fast food fans flocking for 50c burgers
www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/mcdonalds-is-opening-1…
Wed.3.11.21 Melbourne ‘Herald Sun’. Betty’s Burgers. ELI GREENBLAT
BETTY’S Burgers has emerged as the biggest generator of sales for Retail Zoo. the Bain Capital-controlled company that also owns Boost Juice.
The burger chain pivoted to deliveries and mobile apps during the Covid-19 pandemic to preserve profitability.
But the pandemic did not put the brakes on expansion as six Betty’s Burgers restaurants and 21 Boost Juice stores were opened last financial year.
Retail Zoo benefited from JobKeeper by $5.5m. according to its 2021 accounts lodged with the corporate regulator. up from $3.5m in the previous year.
The group managed to ratchet up its profit to $14.14m, from $3.9m in the 2020 financial year.
A rebound in its financial performance could embolden Bain to revisit its plans to list Retail Zoo and its more than 600 outlets under the Boost Juice. Betty’s Burgers. Cibo Espresso and Salsas chains on the ASX after it pulled its initial float in 2019.
Two years down the track. Retail Zoo is a much stronger and larger company, led by its burger chain, which has almost doubled its store count to just under 40 sites.
Betty’s Burgers now generatesjust under 60 per cent of all group sales for the parent company. which in 2021 hit $141.34m.
Boost Juice – thejuice shop founded by Janine Allis and once the growth engine for the group — now only delivers one-third of sales.
However. Boost Juice remains highly profitable. posting underlying earnings of $32m on sales of just over $48m in 2021.
Betty’s Burgers had sales topping nearly $83.2m in 2021, up 21 per cent from the previous year.
The burger chain almost doubled its pre-tax earnings to $15.6m.
Bain bought a 70 per cent stake in Retail Zoo for $185m from founders Ms Allis and husband Jeff Allis in 2014. Its stake has subsequently climbed to 89 per cent.
Betty’s Burgers swipes at rivals amid lofty plans to expand Jessica Yun November 10, 2021
The parent company of upscale fast food outlet Betty’s Burgers has taken a swipe at rival chains for their overcomplicated menus as the business prepares to add new meatless options and capitalise on Australia’s economic reopening.
The beachside burger chain has been a rare beneficiary of the COVID-19 pandemic, shrugging off the impact of lockdowns which caused many other chains to languish. After posting $83.2 million in revenue in the 2021 financial year (up from $68.9 million in 2020), Betty’s Burgers has high hopes to expand from 39 to 150 stores across Australia. At least five new ones will be open by Christmas.
Betty’s Burgers is aiming to expand from 39 to 150 stores across Australia in coming years.CREDIT:LOUISE KENNERLEY
Betty’s Burgers competes with the likes of Grill’d in the premium end of the burger market, as distinct from mass market chains such as McDonald’s and Hungry Jack’s.
“I don’t want to specifically call out any of our competitors, but when you have a menu that’s got 500 items on it, it’s just way too difficult to manage,” Retail Zoo CEO Nishad Alani told the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
“What I have to be very careful about is managing the complexity in our restaurant. When you’re growing at a fast rate, and you’re adding innovative menu items, you’ve just got to make sure you do it in a methodical, well-planned way.”
Parent company Retail Zoo, which also owns the Boost Juice, Cibo Espresso and Salsas chains, has been widely linked with rumours of a float on the ASX. Its private equity owner Bain Capital explored a listing in 2019. A company spokesperson said any decision regarding an IPO “is in the hands of our shareholders.”
According to Mr Alani, diving deeper into the alternative meat movement will be a key growth driver for the business. The Betty’s Burger menu currently features two non-meat options, one with a crispy puff rice patty and another with mushroom.
“You’re going to see a lot of innovation,” Mr Alani said. “What you’re going to see within the next three to four months is a real step up from Betty’s Burgers around options, particularly when it comes to meatless and vegan … we know that’s the trend.”
As concerns about climate change and sustainability reach fever pitch, consumers are hungry for environmentally friendlier options. Australia’s $185 million plant-based meat sector is projected to reach $3 billion by 2030. On a global scale, the market for alternative meat could exceed $189 billion by 2029, Barclays analysts believe.
It’s a potentially lucrative opportunity that Mr Alani is determined to be at the forefront of. “We want to be a leader in the ESG [Environmental, Social, and Governance] space.”
Betty’s Burgers will have more meatless and vegan options in the coming months.CREDIT:
While Betty’s Burgers sales exploded during the pandemic, Mr Alani said the chain’s focus was in-restaurant dining, and the company hopes to capitalise on the return of diners as lockdowns subside.
“During the pandemic, we could not offer that [dine-in] experience to our customers. And despite that, we still did well. Now that you can actually go into our restaurants, sit down, interact with our staff … really absorb that entire experience. That is where we do our best.”
Despite widespread concerns about shortages in the hospitality sector, Mr Alani said the business has had no trouble hiring workers.
Data from employment website SEEK reveals the biggest growth in job ads by far was in hospitality and tourism, up 28.5 per cent between August and September.
“While it’s going to be tough, hiring people, I think we’re in a far better position than anyone else. We’ve been able to successfully poach a lot of people into working for Retail Zoo and in our stores.”
And how about the supply chain crisis crippling industries the world over?
It’s a problem the Retail Zoo chief believes might injure smaller players, but the monumental spike in take-out during the pandemic has given Betty’s Burgers a significant buffer. He’s not worried. “We got onto this probably 6-8 months ago and we’re well-stocked.”
* I’m always concerned when fast food companies strive to grow at such a fast rate. Going from 39 to 150 stores is very ambitious in particular when they are franchise businesses.
* Originally Betty’s Burgers sold a meat pattie in a bun for $1 in a laneway between Hastings Street and the beach at Noosa. That was a simple menu and she survived for decades.
* The company is called "Betty’s Burger and Concrete Company.’ And the burger, in my opinion, are like cardboard (rather than concrete). Grill’d much nicer. So try to compete, but I won’t contribute to your expansion.
* Proper steak burgers.. with a nice piece of rib fillet instead of mince patty … The add on Beetroot, bacon , egg,onion, cheese tomato and lettuce and maybe pineapple. while bacon, egg and onion is hot put the cheese on top and allow it to melt though …. Bliss…
* My first visit in many years to a branch of a well known burger chain had me going to the counter to place my order. I was told that they no longer took the orders there and that I would have to place it on a touch screen. After trying to navigate through page after page of confusing choices, I gave up and left. Later I found an old fashioned family owned take away outlet who cooked up the greatest burger that I’ve had in years!
* Had my first Betty’s over the weekend. Service was friendly but very slow. Burger was not warm and the fries undercooked. So that’s the standard.
* I’m not actually familiar with Betty’s, but I really don’t see the appeal of these so-called "premium" chains. If I want a good burger (as opposed to the barely edible garbage they sell at the low-end chains like McDonald’s), virtually every cafe or pub will do me one. Why would I go to a chain and pay the same price for an inferior product?
* The last burger I had at Betty’s Burgers may as well have been meatless. I marvelled at how they got the patty so thin.
* I really wanted there to be a Betty.
* I prefer ‘Embassy Café’ on Spencer Street, West Melbourne. Same old Greek ladies have been pumping out their genuinely tasty burgers since, well since forever. Might not be as glamourous, but the burgers are better than anything else I’ve tried
* Would be nice if these chains used traditional burger buns, not sugary and brioche etc. And had burgers that were flatter and wider not these things you cant get in your mouth.
* All these bland, over-priced Amercan burgers are terrible. Go to a real takeaway and try a decent burger with beetroot! And pineapple! You will never go back.
* I have eaten at Betty’s Burgers a couple of times. The restaurants are clean and inviting. The burgers taste okay but the meals are small. It’s not cheap for a burger, fries and shake and I was still hungry. Overall it was pretty underwhelming.
* Overpriced In-N-Out wannabe for trendy hipsters.
* The burgers are better at….where ever it suits your fancy.
* If you want a simple menu then check out Five Guys
* Who knew you could be at the forefront of ESG by just selling some veggie burgers?
* I had one once, not going back.
* I prefer to make mine at home, they taste better and are more healthier. My friends can vouch for that also. 🙂
* I love Betty’s Burgers!
* Expensive. Prefer one from a local cafe any day.
* Not quite the same as the original Betty’s Burgers at Noosa, where Betty always managed to sell $1 burgers from her shop – and then her van.
* 500 menu items, thats a bit extreme… but yes the likes of Grill’d has many items on its menus, its called choice, and if you’re going to lunch with a few others, you want those people to have a choice right? If I dont feel like a cheeseburger, and there isnt much else on the menu, i’m likely not going to go to your shop… You’ll get followers, but they will die down, the AU burger phase has been and gone, its still kicking a bit, but people dont drool over it as much anymore.
* We tried Betty’s once and my kids will never go back. Buns too sweet, not like real bread.
* I went to Betty’s. Once.
* Stockmans in Dee Why for me…11 burgers in total and can make you own. the-stockmans-grill.business.site/
* First discovered Betty’s during a visit to Queensland four or five years ago. Loved their burgers and hoped they’d come to Sydney, and finally they did. Much prefer them to their many bland competitors.
* They’re just not very good.
* Franchises growing too big too quick rarely ends well.
* I can not tell the difference between any of these burger chains in taste and ridiculously high prices.
* Mr Adani: “I don’t want to specifically call out any of our competitors, but when you have a menu that’s got 500 items on it, it’s just way too difficult to manage." Also Mr Adani: “What you’re going to see within the next 3-4 months is a real step up from Betty’s Burgers around options, particularly when it comes to meatless and vegan … we know that’s the trend.”
* They will want to improve their burgers if they head to the burbs!
* Horrible burgers
* The best burger is the one you make at home.
* I lLove the food at Betty’s Burgers.
* I had that experience at Noosa just to sample BB. Given the queue waiting to just get in the door, one felt really good to be able to get a table right away. It was an eye-opener to find out how to make a down-market venue trendy. Burger was quite nice. Still like my fish’n’chips from a real fish’n’chip shop – a fast disappearing commodity.
* A burger is a burger is a burger. The “premium” value of grill’d over McDonalds in dollar terms in no way matches the premium value in quality. In other words, much as we pay a premium for a Mercedes over a Hyundai, the premium represents snob value whether or not we are to admit it.
* Is Hartee’s or Wendy’s coming back?
* Burgers are not junk food. They actually resemble the healthy food pyramid – some bread, dairy, salad, meat whatever. The problem is that many chains surround their healthy main offering with crap like slurpees, nuggets etc.
* Interesting, advocating the old maccas business theory, less is more, but then goes on to say they will be adding more product lines as part if their growth innovation.
* Grill’d any day for me.
* And when Betty’s Burger’s respond to the supply chain question with "We got onto this probably 6-8 months ago and we’re well-stocked." I have to worry about the quality. Did they really mean that they’ve stockpiled meat and buns in freezers months ahead of time?
* No way… Grill’d burgers are the most overrated out there. And Betty’s chips are awesome.
* Just looking at the photo – it looks like they’re selling meatless already
* Then, it’s not a burger
* "Hey that’s a salad roll" I said.
* How much glaze is on that bun? Is there any bread under that?
* The glazed bread roll put me off. That looks like a BETTY’S CLASSIC containing Angus beef, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, Betty’s special sauce costing $11.00 according to their menu…hopefully the meat patty has some flavour in it.
* and lots of lettuce.
OCTOBER 10 2021 new COVID-19 exposure sites. Doug Dingwall Lucy Bladen
Betty’s Burgers. 05/10/2021 – Tuesday, 6.45pm to 7.20pm. Monitor
www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7463077/bus-route-majura-p…
Carl’s Jr burger chain to open in Epping, Melton, Clayton. Kimberley Seedy October 18, 2021 Whittlesea Leader
Burger fans are in for a treat, with a popular chain set to open three new stores. Find out if there’s one near you.
Carl’s Jr is opening in Epping this week.
A popular American burger chain is opening three new stores in Melbourne.
Carl’s Jr will open new outlets in Epping, Melton and Clayton in the coming weeks, part of its plan to open 150 restaurants across Australia in the next decade.
There are already 10 Carl’s Jr restaurants across Melbourne.
The new Epping outlet, at 145 Gateway Boulevard (corner O’Hearns Rd), will welcome customers from 10am Wednesday.
Carl’s Jr marketing manager Geoff Kaider said Epping was a logical choice for a new restaurant.
“A dynamic and vibrant community in a Melbourne growth corridor, it’s part of our broader plan to establish the Carl’s Jr. brand in areas where the community is looking for a premium quick service restaurant experience,” he said.
Mr Kaider said 80 team members had joined Carl’s Jr Epping so far, and the company was on the lookout for additional staff members, both crew and management.
He said for more than 80 years, Carl’s Jr had been perfecting the quintessential American burger experience and had a variety of options to suit all palettes and appetites.
Favourites include the Famous Star with Cheese, the Big Carl, the Western Bacon Cheeseburger and the California Classic.
There’s also bottomless soft drinks in restaurant and “proper milkshakes” with hand-scooped ice-cream, as well as a premium burger range and vegetarian options.
carlsjr.com.au
More Coverage
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Plan for cult burger joint thrown in bin
www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/north-west/carls-jr-burger-ch…
* When I lived in USA, Carl’s was my absolute fav fast food. None of these chains ever seem to be the same when international though. My mouth is sad, my belt is happy.
* Carl’s Jr in Thomastown is not that busy. Drive thru wit times can be up to 20 minutes. The burgers are seriously over priced and over rated. Many local Fish and Chip shops do a better burger for a lot less. I go to Carl’s Jr only when the app ahs decent deals.
* I’ve never understood the popularity of McDonalds or Hungry Jacks when your local fish and chip shop makes a much better and much bigger hamburger than both of them. The Aussie burger with the lot kills the Big Mac and I would imagine its many times healthier without the sugary bun, the fatty sauces etc of McDonald’s.
* It tastes similar to a rebranded Hungry Jacks. Subpar product laced with supermarket brand sauces with an average taste. Do yourself a favour, take your business elsewhere.
* Had it in Ballarat…nothing to rave about.
* Nothing beats the good old fashioned Aussie burger with the lot from the corner take away or pub, so what you have to wait for it to be cooked, far better. Especially from those who make their own patties.
* Just like their major competitors the burgers are half the size they appear in the ads. Give me my local burger shop any day.
* Give them 12 months before the established giants McDonalds and Hungry Jacks swallow them.
* Don’t get too excited. Hungry Jacks is far better.
* If food writers had a blindfolded burger tasting, could they guess the brand? Do newspaper photo editors use the same stock photo for every brand?
* Overpriced junk food. Tastes the same as Hungry Jack’s.
* Carl’s Jr is pretty good, like an upmarket Hungry Jacks. I wish Chick-Fil-A would come to Australia, everything I’ve heard about them is excellent. Jack-in-the-Box is another good burger chain, superior to McDonalds and Burger King (I had all 3 in Hawaii 3 years back) Also hear that In and Out Burger is a really good fast food burger.
* In and Out burgers are the best!
* In’n’Out ain’t that great. There’s better burgers amongst our local shops.
Bayswater North: VCAT blocks bid for super servo including drive-through Carls Jr, Guzman Y Gomez. Kiel Egging March 5, 2021 Maroondah Leader
For burger lovers, it would have a must-visit in Maroondah. But plans for this cult classic to set up shop have been rejected.
American burger chain Carls Jr was going to be part of a super servo planned in Bayswater North. Picture: Andy Brownbill
A cult burger shop’s plans to open its first Melbourne drive-through restaurant in Maroondah have been scuttled by the local council and VCAT.
The tribunal rejected an appeal by developer Jasbe Bayswater North to transform the corner of Canterbury and Dorset roads in Bayswater North with a 24/7 super service station.
The site, at 154-156 Canterbury Rd, is home to a used car dealership and opposite an identical set of retailers including a Shell service station, fast food joints KFC and Hungry Jacks, and a La Porchetta restaurant.
Under Jasbe’s plans, the car dealership would have been bulldozed and replaced with a Metro service station with 12 refuelling points, a five-bay car wash, 68 carparking spots and 21 bicycle parking spots.
It also planned to include drive-through Carls Jr and Guzman N Gomez restaurants and a cafe, with room for more than 200 diners.
Maroondah Council rejected the application in March 2020, deeming the project an overdevelopment for the site and holding concerns over its layout, traffic flow and inadequate landscaping.
It led to an appeal from Jasbe and a two-day hearing held in September.
Tribunal members Mary-Anne Taranto and Kate Partenio upheld the council’s decision when they handed down their verdict on March 1.
The duo expressed major concerns over fuel tanker access, noting the site layout meant they would partially block a driver entry and exit point on Dorset Rd during deliveries.
“The primary shortcoming of this proposal relates to the fuel tanker delivery arrangements which we have concluded would not promote convenient, safe or efficient vehicle access,” they said.
“We also find that the pedestrian arrangements throughout the site and car wash related vehicle movements across the service station building frontage would not be acceptable.”
Carls Jr has opened nine stores across Victoria in the past two-and-a-half years with its only drive-through in Shepparton.
Despite the refusal of the project, Guzman Y Gomez will open a Croydon store on Maroondah Highway later this month, at the former home of a Hungry Jacks restaurant.
More Coverage
Why Bayswater is stuck in a time warp
www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/outer-east/bayswater-north-vc…
* We have a drive-thru Carl’s in Ballarat, and it ain’t that great.
* I’m pretty sure the Altona North Carls Jr has had a drive thru since it opened.
* So much for the hype around EV’s – charging facilities not even mentioned.
* Let them build it. The others there are BIG chain franchises. Sounds great. The intersection is wide and correct light management? It is not Flinders Street.
* Not necessarily against the general idea but that intersection is busy enough without adding additional traffic coming for the burgers.
Carl’s Jr Mordialloc: Fast food, petrol station planned for Lower Dandenong Rd. Brittany Goldsmith May 25, 2021 Mordialloc Chelsea Leader
A popular American fast-food chain could soon hit Melbourne’s inner south as part of a multimillion-dollar development.
Kingston Council has received an application from developers to build a Carl’s Jnr in Mordialloc.
American fast-food giant Carl’s Jr is eyeing off a new location at Mordialloc as part of a multimillion-dollar development.
Kingston Council has received an application for the hugely popular restaurant to be built alongside a new petrol station at 252-258 Lower Dandenong Rd.
Victoria’s first Carl’s Jr store opened at Westfield Knox in 2018 with eight opening since including Altona North, Docklands, Cranbourne and Lyndhurst.
Another restaurant is also set to take over Beaconsfield on the corner of Whiteside Rd and Princes Fwy, next to cult Mexican favourite Taco Bell.
Carls Jr was founded in Los Angeles in 1941 and became famous for its signature Thickburger which features a chargrilled Angus beef patty, melted American cheese, tomatoes, red onions, pickles, lettuce, mustard, mayonnaise and ketchup.
Kingston Council planning and development acting general manager Paul Marsden told the Leader the estimated cost of the Mordialloc development was $3.2 million.
“The application also includes a request for a reduction in the carparking requirement for the
convenience restaurant, to alter access to Road Zone Category 1, and to display signage,” he said.
“The application is still under consideration and no estimated construction start or end dates have been confirmed.”
www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/inner-south/carls-jr-mordiall…
* Tried out a Carls’ Jr burger. Expensive and revolting. They will be gone by the end of the year.
* In Singapore we had a delicious Carl Jr Burger with salad in a lettuce wrap. Healthy with no bun.
* Why do they bother? If the counter people were naked, would you be able to guess which chain you were patronising? USA destroyed hamburgers by using small soggy buns instead of our traditional large and grill-crisped ones.
* USA destroyed the hamburger hey? Tell that to the very successful McDonalds chain, Hungry Jacks etc and see what reaction you get.
* Just because they are successful doesn’t mean they are any good on the culinary scale.
* That’s just what I meant. The USA chains have trained Australians into USA tastes: small soggy sweet buns with sesame seeds. Hence, they have destroyed real hamburgers in Australia. Newspaper foodie writers have added to the nightmare: they love small buns, overloaded with exotic ingredients and impossible to eat while standing anywhere, or sitting in a car.
* When you find a decent American burger joint let us know. All the franchise stores are revolting.
* During my stay in USA, all I got when it came to hamburgers and coffee (with the exception of Pete’s French Roasted Coffee beans) was crap. If USA is the country of hamburgers; give me the Chippies hamburgers any day.
* Because we need more overpriced undersized greasy hamburger options?
* Do we really need another American fast food outlet?
* Hugely popular? The one in Ballarat is empty every time I have been there. Maybe its got to do with the big prices for a burger.
* Went in to there once. Was the only one in there. Read prices and walked out again, a line from the Castle playing in my mind [‘tell him he’s dreaming’]. Kid behind the counter merely grunted as if that was the longest visit of the day.
* That picture just added a couple kilos looking at it – Yumm.
Fine-dining chefs flip to burgers during lockdown (plus five of the best to try) CALLAN BOYS September 5 2021
Bennelong chef de partie Anna Moretti, has set up a pop-up burger bar at Bondi Liquor Co. while unable to work due to Sydney’s lockdown restrictions. Photo: Janie Barrett
Burgers were never really Neil Perry’s plan to help his new restaurant through lockdown, but where there’s a wood-fire, there’s an opportunity to make Sydneysiders happy with grilled meat between bread.
"We were already lighting the fire to cook chicken alla cacciatora and sear beef fillets for the Neil Perry at Home packs, so I said to the team, ‘let’s just get a few burgers out at the same time’," says the former Rockpool chef, who was set to launch Double Bay fine-diner Margaret the week Sydney’s current COVID-19 lockdown was announced.
"It was crazy. We made 100 burgers the first day and sold out by 12:15pm. Now we sell about 250 burgers at lunch [Wednesday to Saturday], plus 100 sandwiches on top of that."
Bondi Liquor’s American cheeseburger, $22 with fries. Photo: Janie Barrett
While Perry’s "at home" meals available through delivery platform Providoor reflect the kind of produce-driven cooking his restaurant will offer when it can welcome guests, right now Margaret is also Australia’s most high-profile tuckshop.
"I was eating chip sandwiches all last week, so we put a butty with sauce on the menu and it flew out the door," says Perry.
The chip butty joins a chicken katsu sandwich and luxe salad roll with ham, provolone, lettuce and a thicket of grated carrot.
Mary’s classic Mary’s Burger with oak lettuce and signature sauce. Photo: Supplied
Meanwhile, the Margaret burger – $25 with chips – features full-flavoured brisket and chuck [USA for minced beef; Australian for vomit] from CooperTree Farms retired dairy cows. It’s the bellwether of a food trend Sydney hasn’t experienced at such high levels in years: fine-dining chefs flipping burgers.
Lockdown has led to Potts Point’s Bistro 916 stacking a double cheeseburger; Poly is serving a takeaway works burger complete with beetroot and pineapple in Surry Hills, and Stanmore’s three-hatted Sixpenny is frying a fish burger special for its pop-up general store.
Just this week, Anna Moretti, a chef de partie at Bennelong, launched a burger side-hustle in collaboration with Bondi Liquor Co, Waverley Council’s first licensed distillery. The O’Brien Street gin joint opened its bar to the public only a month before lockdown.
"It’s nice to just get busy and creative again," says Moretti, who has taken over half the venue with her flat grill and fryers. "As a chef, I’m used to working long hours at a fast pace – not being stuck at home."
Bondi Liquor is open Thursday to Sunday for takeaway cocktails and Moretti’s burger creations, such as a parmesan and truffle number with tarragon mayo, and a vegan-friendly option made with broad beans and chickpeas.
BYOB (build-your-own-burger) kits have also taken off during lockdown. Boxes filled with buns, patties, cheese, sauce and fresh fillings are available for delivery from Pub Life Kitchen in Ultimo, Vic’s Meat Direct, Chebbo’s food truck and Burger Head in Penrith and Botany.
‘The Cease and Desist’ – Burger Head’s tribute to McDonalds’ Big Mac. Photo: Supplied
"We took 800 orders for our Big Mac-inspired kit this week," says Burger Head co-owner Tim Rosenstrauss, who also provides live cook-along videos over Instagram every Thursday for customers ordering the box.
"My business partner Josh [DeLuca] and I host the cooking sessions. It’s a bit of fun even if it’s not always the most professional production – we also play a drinking game that involves having to take a drink every time one of us says the word ‘burger’."
Orders close on Tuesday for Burger Head’s sixth lockdown box, a $35 collaboration with Bar Luca which has locations in Darlinghurst and Parramatta, plus a cult following for its "Blame Canada" burger loaded with maple bacon, fries [chips], cheese curd and gravy.
"There’s definitely less people venturing out for takeaway this lockdown compared to last year’s," says Rosenstrauss. "While our two stores are down in sales, these boxes are helping us to keep going."
Five more great burgers for lockdown
American pattie purists will tell you that a burger must contain ground [Australian minced]meat, preferably beef, and a bun filled with anything else is technically a sandwich. But Australia largely nixed that rule decades ago – wagyu, duck, fish or halloumi, Sydney’s burger choices are delicious and many.
Baba’s Place Samk-et-Harra (Lebanese Filet-o-Fish)
A hand-crumbed riff on McDonalds’ fish sanga featuring pink ling, pickles, chimichurri and tahini tartare. Pair it with fries seasoned by garlicky toum salt at Marrickville’s good-time Lebanese takeaway, also home to beaut cherry-glazed kafta. Takeaway only Thursday to Sunday. Call 02 9090 2925 to order.
Bistrot 916 Duck and Cheese Burger
If it looks like a duck burger, and tastes like a duck burger, it’s probably from Sydney’s most popular new bistro. In truth, with taxi-cab-yellow cheese and a crumbed puck of duck, the burger looks a lot like a Filet-o-Fish too. A $38 duck and cheese meal comes with fries and drink options such as a negroni spritz. Available for pick-up in Potts Point from 5pm until sold out, Thursday to Saturday. Order from bistrot916.com.
Icebergs Dining Room and Bar Iceburger
A no-funny-business burger starring beef, a soft bun [great in USA, not in Australia], special sauce, lettuce and tomato. Full marks for both taste and name. This lockdown is the first time Maurice Terzini’s Bondi flagship has delivered food in its 19-year history, so you may as well make the most of it and include a chocolate tart with the order too. Order online through Providoor for next-day delivery across most of NSW.
Mary’s Mary’s Burger
If there was a Mount Rushmore of Sydney burger pioneers, Mary’s co-owners Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham would be chiselled in granite. (Not to mention Paul and Katina Zerefos, founders of Paul’s Famous Hamburgers in Sylvania ) Mary’s namesake burger is now eight-years-old and features buttery grass-fed beef, American cheese, oak lettuce and flavour-packed signature sauce. Pick-up from Mary’s Newtown and CBD stores, and The Unicorn, Paddington. Delivery available via Deliveroo.
Sunset Diner Crispy Chicken Burger
Avalon’s pastel pink American-style diner is looking after the Northern Beaches with salted caramel shakes, hot dogs and a crunchy buttermilk-brined fried chicken burger the size of a softball. Takeaway only Wednesday to Sunday. Order from sunsetdiner.com.au.
www.goodfood.com.au/eat-out/news/sydneys-best-burgers-for…
210916F-Fairfax-GoodFood-FiveGuys-burgers.
USA burger chain Five Guys’ first Australian store opens on Monday. SCOTT BOLLES September 16 2021
All Five Guys burgers feature hand-made patties and free toppings. Photo: Supplied
The impending opening of cult USA burger brand Five Guys in Sydney has fuelled hysteria among its devotees on par with the arrival of the Beatles on our shores in 1964. Now B-Day is here for burger fans – almost.
On Monday, Five Guys’ first Australian outlet opens in Penrith. Burger-obsessed citizens from western Sydney lucky enough to have it in their lockdown catchment are expected to form a sizeable socially-distanced welcome queue.
When Good Food revealed last year Five Guys was Australia-bound, the story went viral online. So, what’s all the fuss about?
USA burger chain Five Guys first Australian store opens in Penrith September 20. Photo: Supplied
The American chain prides itself on doing things properly: there are no freezers or microwaves, and burger patties and fries are made fresh every day. Lettuce is hand-shredded and the level of detail to the operational procedure documents is NASA-like.
Earlier this year the company switched to a suburban-led strategy amid the pandemic. A Penrith site next to Panthers entertainment and dining hub was chosen, but outlets closer to the Sydney CBD will soon follow.
Seagrass Boutique Hospitality – the group behind venues such as 6 Head and Ribs & Burgers – has picked up the local master franchise for the brand.
Penrith staff have been trained using Five Guys NASA-like procedure manual. Photo: Supplied
The Penrith store has a simple interior, with more red and white than a Where’s Wally convention, and while an entry-level burger is $17 ("little" hamburgers start at $14), all toppings are free. So, go for it – the 15-item extras list brims with the likes of grilled mushrooms, onions and jalapeno peppers.
123 Mulgoa Road, Penrith, fiveguys.com.au
Open daily 11am-10pm
www.goodfood.com.au/eat-out/news/us-burger-chain-five-guy…
Mark and Donnie Wahlberg’s Wahlburgers is the latest US burger chain to open in Sydney. SCOTT BOLLES February 16 2022
USA burger chain Wahlburgers has opened at Opera Quays, complete with signature burgers and fries. Photo: Supplied
Half a century after McDonald’s first planted its Golden Arches in Australia, the newest arrival from Generation Next of US burger chains has hit Sydney. The Hollywood-scented Wahlburgers opened its doors this week at Circular Quay.
Started by Boston-born singer-actor brothers Mark and Donnie Wahlberg with their chef sibling, Paul, Wahlburgers joins a growing posse of USA chains headed to our shores. Last year, cult burger brand Five Guys opened its first Sydney store.
Where McDonald’s started its Australian story on a busy street in Yagoona, Wahlburgers has chosen a site down by Sydney’s prized Golden Pond, at Opera Quays. And the casual restaurant and bar has cocktails on the menu.
More than burgers and fries: There are cocktails on the menu at Wahlburgers, too. Photo: Supplied
The Walhburgers chain has been brought to Australia with local partners, the Mustaca family who built the United Cinema chain. Sam Mustaca tells Good Food getting Wahlburgers off the ground in the middle of a pandemic wasn’t easy.
"Lots of Zoom," Mustaca says of communication with his US-based partners. But he credits the brothers for embracing the Australian consumer with some niche inclusions on the opening menu.
"Paul [Wahlberg] came up with the Vegemite aioli. And I remember the look on his face (via Zoom) when he tried his first Aussie burger with beetroot," Mustaca says.
As well as signature burgers and potato gems (pictured), there’ll be an Aussie Chicken Schnitty burger and Vegemite aioli. Photo: Supplied
An Aussie Chicken Schnitty burger made the opening menu, alongside some of the chain’s signatures.
Mustaca revealed Byron Bay, Surfers Paradise and Warriewood are all slated for openings, with a mix of standalone and Wahlburgers built alongside the family’s cinemas.
Wahlburgers has steadily grown over the years, spawning a spin-off reality TV show and even opened an outlet at an air base in Germany. It did experience a hiccup with its UK plans, Wahlburgers closing at Covent Garden last year, citing the impact of the pandemic.
Open daily 7am-late
Opera Quays 18/7 Macquarie Street, wahlburgers.com
www.goodfood.com.au/eat-out/news/mark-and-donnie-wahlberg…
