Betty’s Burgers, CicciaBella: Parramatta Square’s newest eateries
It doesn’t matter if you want a fast food fix or to indulge in some la dolce vita, you can find it at one of Parramatta Square’s new ribbon of restaurants - dubbed the ‘city’s dining room’.
Parramatta
Don't miss out on the headlines from Parramatta . Followed categories will be added to My News.
Would you like fries with that? Popular burger chain Betty’s Burgers and popular Bondi restaurant CicciaBella are the first eateries slated to tantalise tastebuds at the new $2.7 billion Parramatta Square.
Betty’s Burgers is the first eatery to open in the underground pedestrian link between Parramatta train station and Walker Corporation’s Parramatta Square redevelopment.
Following social distancing measures, the eatery will accommodate 14 diners who have the option to place a contactless order via an app, at the counter or take away.
Betty’s NSW senior operations manager Brad Flinn said the Parramatta outlet would employ 60 people from customer service workers to kitchen hands whipping up cheat-day fare including the signature Betty’s classic beef burger with Angus beef, bacon, pickles, lettuce, tomato and cheese, a special mayonnaise sauce on Japanese-style milk buns.
The eatery and others in the Parramatta Square domain were initially earmarked to open in April but the coronavirus has delayed most debuts for September.
However, Mr Flinn said the company was “ahead of the curve” when it came to social distancing measures and it was feasible to open now in Parramatta.
“In Parramatta there’s so much international cuisine, it’s a growing business hub,’’ he said.
“A lot of our business has been based around corporate and shoppers.”
Betty’s temptations include cheeseburgers, crispy chicken supreme or even the “shroom’’ burger (mushrooms with melted gouda and gruyere cheese) and even vegan burgers (fried brown rice and vegetables with pickles).
Wash it down with thick shakes — chocolate peanut butter, caramel and strawberry are some of the flavours.
Their desserts include peanut butter brittle, cookie butter and lemon raspberry cheesecake.
The chain also plans to open a Coogee “shack’’ by the end of July.
On the other end of the dining scale, Bondi’s swanky Italian CicciaBella has chosen to expand in Parramatta Square in September.
Entrepreneur and restaurateur Maurice Terzini, who opened his first Sydney restaurant Otto at Woolloomooloo Wharf in 2000, will stir up the risotto in partnership with Walker Corporation
“Parramatta Square is an incredible exciting development, revitalising the city centre and creating a new culinary experience in Parramatta,’’ Terzini, who also established Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, said.
“Over the last three months I’ve worked really hard to maintain CicciaBella, a brand that is dear to my heart.
“It’s a true reflection of my childhood in Italy, bringing together an accumulation of all the Italian concepts.”
Ruse Bar & Brasserie, Fishbowl, Harvey’s Hot Sandwiches, Threefold Pastry will also open at Parramatta Square in September.
Western Sydney Business Chamber executive director David Borger called Parramatta Square the new dining room for western Sydney.
“It will be the place to go out with a series of restaurants with a lovely square in the middle,’’ he said, comparing it to St Mark’s Square in Venice.
Mr Borger said the cluster of restaurants would energise Parramatta particularly with Parramatta Light Rail construction and the coronavirus epidemic tearing through the Church St dining strip.
“Church St is doing it very, very tough at the moment,’’ he said.
“I think Parramatta Square is providing new energy to the city. The community needs a bit of people and needs a bit more energy.’’
He added that fine dining establishments such as CicciaBella choosing to establish Parramatta restaurants showed confidence in the precinct’s future.
“This place is doubling in size in the next few years and we need new restaurants.’’