Noosa restaurant To Go Burgers beats staffing crisis with unique business model

After her Melbourne restaurant suffered during the pandemic a restaurateur “escaped” to Noosa where she has launched a new concept store in response to an ongoing staffing crisis.

Dana Holtzman has opened To Go Burgers, Hasting Street, Noosa. Picture: Patrick Woods.

A Noosa businesswoman and single mum says she’s designed a unique $350,000 burger joint along an iconic street in Noosa to bypass the “shocking” staffing crisis and give her and her two kids stability.

Dana Holtzman, 38, is the owner of To Go Burgers on Hastings St, Noosa, which has become known for its Wagyu beef patties since opening in July.

The staffing crisis has shaken restaurants in Noosa this year with several high-profile eateries forced to reduce their opening hours, while one restaurant has started offering new employees accommodation.

Ms Holtzman said she fitted her venue with a $40,000 kiosk for customers to place orders themselves.

She said it helped protect her from the staff shortage as she needed only one employee to run the show.

The mum-of-two said her boutique venue‘s design gave her and her family stability after struggling to find employees for her Melbourne-based Asian restaurant Chopstix Sorrento during Covid-19.

Ms Holtzman said her 100-seat restaurant, founded in 2008, suffered during restrictions and with lack of staff throughout the pandemic.

Describing that time as “scary”, she said at one point the business was only making $200 a day.

Dana Holtzman has opened To Go Burgers, Hasting Street, Noosa. Picture: Patrick Woods.

“Being a single mum, that was my only income,” she said.

The Israel-born woman said she was scrambling to find staff as she often relied on overseas workers to fill roles.

Ms Holtzman said like many others she “escaped” Victoria in 2020 and moved to Noosa where she wanted to build a burger business with a kiosk ordering system and no table service or wait staff.

Dana Holtzman has opened To Go Burgers, Hasting Street, Noosa. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Ms Holtzman said her $350,000 venue has been growing every week since opening, though some customers were still learning how to use her unique kiosk.

“They look at it like it’s an alien,” she said.

Dana Holtzman has opened To Go Burgers, Hasting Street, Noosa. Picture: Patrick Woods.

She said she now wanted to bring on investors, expand the business, and replicate a similar concept with different products, such as coffee or ice cream.

Noosa Chamber of Commerce president Ralph Rogers said the staffing shortage, which was a nationwide issue, was still hindering businesses in Noosa and was in well need of government support.

“We need concrete, actionable plans,” he said.

He added that businesses have been innovating to ease the crisis, which has been talked about for two years now.