Popular burger joint thriving and expanding business

DARWIN staple Good Thanks burger bar has persevered through a tough 2020 and reached a major milestone three years in the making

Good Thanks co-owner Alex James and bar manager Ryan Copperwaite toast the next phase for the popular burger bar. Picture Katrina Bridgeford.

THINGS have started to pick up for Territory hospitality businesses after a tough 2020 and Knuckey Street’s Good Thanks burger bar is one venue with an eye to the future.

The award-winning eatery is celebrating the approval of a change to its liquor licence conditions which means co-owner Alex James’s vision for the venue three years in the making is finally coming to fruition.

MORE TOP NT NEWS

Interstate arrivals since borders reopened on July 17 outstrips Darwin’s entire population

Darwin ‘should follow Cairns’ lead’ on its Esplanade: Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis

Melburnians should be able to visit the NT before Christmas, says Gunner

Good Thanks will now operate under a small bar licence, which Mr James said would free the business up to host events while continuing to serve up the culinary offerings that have made it a popular Darwin staple.

“For us it’s just an extension of what we’re doing,” he said.

“We want to turn it more into an art space where we can have live music, obviously smaller gigs — whether it’s vinyl nights, spinning records, that sort of stuff — just an alternative option.”

Mr James said his original plan for the venue to serve as a half-and-half bar/restaurant when Good Thanks opened three years ago would now be possible under the new licence.

“Obviously we’re known for food so we don’t want to cut our nose off to spite our face, so we’ll still be Good Thanks but it’s going to be the Good Thanks that we always wanted it to be from day one,” he said.

”We did our proving grounds, we’ve been here for three years now without any dramas so we’re going forward to the next step.”

LIMITED TIME: New NT News subscription offer: $1 a week for the first 12 weeks

Mr James said his was one of a range of venues to open up in the southern corner of the central business district which had transformed the area into a vibrant hub and alterative to the Mitchell Street party strip.

“Especially with the uni coming and Health House moving in, it’s really going to come alive I think,” he said.