Grill’d finds health and convenience focus serves it well
Grill’d, one of Australia’s fastest growing franchises, is set to open their 21st store just four and a half years after the concept was launched in the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn.
The achievements of Grill’d, like other recent success stories Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar and SumoSalad, can, to some degree, be put down to a focus on providing a healthier version of a much-loved product. In Crust’s case it was the pizza, for Grill’d it is the iconic burger. Their focus was on providing a burger, which would suit the growing consumer interest in ‘better for you’ products while also making sure they could offer a burger that didn’t sacrifice taste. They also serve toppings rarely used by many of the large burger chains in the country, such as avocado, Brie cheese, cranberry sauce and roasted capsicum, and cook their chips in cholesterol-free cottonseed oil.
The franchise has spread its wings into NSW and Queensland since their launch, with growth attributed to their ability to differentiate themselves from many of their competitors. Simon Crowe, Managing Director and founder of the franchise, witnessed the growth of the premium burger movement worldwide and decided to create a franchise that embraced the concept in Australia, with the trends toward health and convenience helping it prosper.
The store offers a range of burgers to satisfy different tastes from traditional beef burgers to more unique offerings like Moroccan Lamb & Garden Goodness and has managed to attract the attention of celebrities, from Hamish Blake, Andy Lee, Megan Gale and Dave Hughes, to players from the Hawthorn and Richmond Football Clubs.
There is, however, much more to the growing franchise than just the quality and range of products, according to Mr Crowe. “Grill’d is more than just a great tasting, healthy burger restaurant. We place a huge emphasis on the entire Grill’d experience from fun and friendly staff to the unique décor and the open, modern kitchen,” he said. “It’s the culmination of our people, product and the in-store environment that sets Grill’d apart.”
Their new restaurant, opening its doors next to Hoyts cinema at Melbourne Central on October 3, represents their second CBD store in Melbourne following the recent opening of an outlet at QV.
