Neil Perry takes on the burger, and the world
What chef Neil Perry really wants to be known for is his $8.90 burgers.
You know him for his fancy restaurants (he fronts seven, in three states). His cookbooks (numerous). His role as food guru to Qantas (inescapable). Maybe even his famous mane, worn as a Japanese warrior-style ponytail (his trademark).
But what chef Neil Perry really wants to be known for is his $8.90 burgers. One hundred per cent Tasmanian-grown beef, salt, pepper, pickles, cheese and sauce in a bun. It’s a long way, culturally and price-wise, from the high cuisine of Perry’s flagship Sydney restaurant, Rockpool, where dinner with wine will cost you $250 a head.
But the chef is on the cusp of a major business expansion that he hopes will ultimately see 50 Burger Project stores around Australia, in all states, within five years. The concept was launched last year at Sydney’s World Square shopping centre, and “the numbers are good”.
So good, in fact, that he and his business partners — his cousin Trish Richards and multi-millionaire American entrepreneur and wine buff David Doyle — will open a further six stores in the next 16 months, starting with one at Sydney airport’s international terminal, to be open by December.
Burger Projects will rapidly follow in Melbourne’s Collins Street and Chadstone shopping centre, and at Circular Quay, Chatswood and Parramatta in Sydney.
“We’re really looking for special locations, iconic locations I guess,” said Perry yesterday, flipping burgers in Sydney. “I want to have 50 really high-volume locations that we own, operate and have complete control of within five years. And, yes, of course I’d … like to take it international too.”
Perry believes Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand and several US states would be logical markets. Many “name” chefs have pursued the burger dream in recent years, including Sydneysiders Justin North and Warren Turnbull, and Melbourne’s Daniel Wilson. Perry says standing out is not that hard.
“Our motto is ‘fast food, slow-food values’ and I think grinding our own Cape Grim whole muscle chuck and brisket (beef) in store, doing our own sauces and pickles makes a difference. They can come after us,” Perry said.