Adelaide hospitality businesses opening amid cost-of-living crisis

Jumbo Smash offering American-style burgers is one of more than a dozen new eateries to open in the city, bucking the trend of hospitality businesses going bust. See what’s new.

Jumbo co-owners Jimmy Garside (chef) and Saba Maghsoudi after a successful first week on Exchange Place. Picture: Tom Huntley

One of the city’s newest eateries is luring in customers with its American-style smash burgers, so much so it sold out of its juicy patties on the first three days of trade.

Jumbo Smash, on Exchange Place, has been open for a little over a week and word is out of chef and co-owner Jimmy Garside’s Oklahoma Smash – thin patties smashed with onions.

“It was designed in America because beef was so expensive, onions were a bulking agent and they keep the meat really juicy,” Mr Garside says.

“People claim to serve smashed burgers, but very few actually do it.”

Jumbo Smash co-owners Jimmy Garside (chef) and Saba Maghsoudi. Picture: Tom Huntley

The breakfast and lunch diner is one of at least 18 new eateries to open in the city this year, bucking the trend of hospitality businesses going bust during a cost-of-living crisis.

Others to open include Script & Bean, 6am, Little Attention Seeker and Osteria Polpo.

Mr Garside, former executive chef of Sydney’s hipster Mary’s burgers, says the current climate is why Jumbo Smash’s price point is competitive while still using quality produce.

“We try and be as affordable as possible, people can’t afford to eat out four or five times a week and we also just want people to try our stuff,” he says.

Co-owner Saba Maghsoudi, also behind Pinco Deli, says the diner will soon open until late on Fridays and Saturdays “bringing everything we love – music, burgers, liquor and dancing”.

Breakfast and burger options on offer at Jumbo Smash, in Exchange Place. Picture: Tom Huntley

Adelaide Economic Development Agency executive manager, Rundle Mall, Andrew White says 12 hospitality businesses opened in and around the Mall last year, up eight per cent.

“In just six months this year we’ve already seen at least eight more open their doors in Rundle Mall and another 10 in the wider CBD and North Adelaide,” Mr White says.

“We know visitors, shoppers and city workers love to try new things, and that’s backed up by our foot traffic data which shows a 15 per cent increase in visitors to James Place on the day Bottega Bandito opened last month, when compared to the same day the week before.”

Oliver Brown, managing director of The Big Easy Group behind Bottega Bandito, says the delicatessen/cafe has been consistently busy since opening with “their idea not just to create a takeaway, but also a dine-in and theatrical sort of offering.”

A Bottega Bandito sandwich.

“For all of our venues we try and do something unique in each of them, so here that is the micro bakery that we have set up that you can view through the windows,” Mr Brown says.

“It’s a show piece and people come in and look at the breads and pastries being made.

“It’s been really cool to see the lunchtime crowd along James Place, considering it was half shut with construction, it’s now got a vibrant laneway feel again.”

The construction work was for Charter Hall’s $450m development 60 King William, which now houses Momoto’s first South Australian store, opening last week.

Momoto manager Kevin Lei. Picture: Dean Martin

“Kings Lane combines both the culture of laneway and arcade lifestyle and it seamlessly provides seated and takeaway meal opportunities,” a Momoto spokesman said.

Meaning ‘sushi in motion’ the eatery was filled on opening day with its takeaway counter popular among those wanting “quality sushi to eat al desko”.

Momoto offers premium ingredients like uni (sea urchin roe) and Hokkaido scallops and plans to open another store in the New Year.