Fast Food/Casual QSR Restaurant Tour of Sydney Australia 2014

Food Technical Consulting

2014 QSR Restaurant Tour of Sydney Australia

Darrel Suderman, PhDFood Technical Consulting


Sydney Australia Restaurant Tour

Quick Overview of Australian QSR and Fast Casual

Restaurants

»Planning to visit Australia soon?

»Here’s an overview of the leading QSR and Fast Casual

restaurants brands in Sydney – with some insightful

commentary.

»Some overriding menu trends that I observed were:

» Growing Middle Eastern and Asian demographics

» Fried, Grilled, and Roasted Chicken QSR Restaurants predominate

» Two new Chipotle-style restaurant brands, Mad Mex and Guzman y

Gomez, are catching fire and growing fast!

» Healthy Menus, Locally Grown, No added Additives, etc., are growing

marketing points.


Sydney Restaurant Tour

Restaurant Tour Trending Best Practices

Some of the trending best menu practices are:

»Charcoal grilling chicken

»Halal chicken availability

»Customers ability to “customize” their burger order entry

electronically at a Kiosk (McDonalds)

»Portuguese flavored fried chicken (Oporto)

»Healthy Menus, Locally Grown, No added Additives, etc., are

growing marketing points.


Sydney Restaurant Tour

Restaurant Tour Best Products

In my opinion, the following restaurants had some of the best menu items in their category:

» Best of Sydney Chinese food @ Mr. Wong’s

» “Sweet & Fiery” sauce for wings and other chicken products (KFC)

» Chicken Ribs @Nando’s

» Made Fresh garlic mayo dressing (with strong garlic flavor)

» High Quality Salads @ grilled chicken restaurants

» Ribs @ Ribs & Burgers (pork, beef, and lamb)

» Hot Dogs @ Haute Dogs’

» Greek Flat Bread & Wraps @ Zeus

» Cookie Crumble Shakes @ Original Meatball Company

» Artisan hand crafted sausages @ Snag Stand

» Wraps @ Le Wrap

» Tacos and Burritos @ Mad Mex and Guzman y Gomez


Fast Casual/Sit Down

Mr. Wong’s

2014 Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Awards, Two Hats & Best New Restaurant

Can’t Miss Salt and Pepper Pork Ribs- My favorite!

Modern Cantonese menu, from dim sum to classic mud crab, served in a lavish French-colonial setting

Food Technical ConsultingPhoto by: lilyancupcakes.blogspot.com


McDonalds’ McCafe

McDonald’s McCafe in Australia is larger than what I have seen in the United States. It is detached from main front counter, operates as a stand alone business, and sells higher quality dessert products than Starbucks. In my opinion, Starbucks is non-competitive in the Australian market primarily due to local Starbucks knockoffs – which is also true in Korea and Colombia South America. The McDonald’s McCafe that I visited sold cheese cake, donuts, cakes, and other pastries. Other McCafe products included toasted veggie omelets & ham, roast beef, Reuben deli, chicken pesto, and sausage omelets & chorizo breakfast and lunch sandwiches – a clear departure from their traditional hamburger menu in U.S.

QSR Fast Food

McDonalds McCafe Front Counter



Zeus Greek Street Food

Food Technical ConsultingPhoto by: missklicious.blogspot.com


SUMO Salads

QSR Fast Food

Sumo Salads sets the salad standards in Australia. Sumo Salads are primarily located in malls. Notice the abundant case display of salads and extensive variety.

SUMO Salads



Ribs & Burgers

Food Technical ConsultingPhoto by: chasingaplate.com/ribs-burgers/


Burger Shed

QSR Fast Food

Decadent burgers from grass feed angus and Wagyu cattle. Wagyu beef seems to be more common in Australia than U.S. Also served chicken tortillas cheese coated fries.

The Burger Shed


KFC Krushbar

KFC has attempted to create their

own McCafe®, They were selling

ice slushies in one store with

following flavors: Iced Mocha,

Mint Chocolate, Strawberry,

Kookies ‘n Kream, Golden

Gaytime, Mint Chocolate, and

Violet Krumble. There was nothing

new and innovative. I teach an

international workshop annually

entitled ‘The 10 Pillars of Food

Innovation’, and there is nothing at

Krushbar that is innovative!

QSR Fast Food


QSR Fast Food

Original Meatball Company

The meatball bun had a soft internal texture that was

outstanding. I liked the wide variety of meatballs, fries with

rosemary, thyme, and sea salt. They also served a range of

salad bowls, and cookie crumble shakes.

Photo by: foodboozeshoes.blogspot.com


Hungry Jacks (Burger King)

»It’s a long story, but Hungry

Jacks sells Burger King USA

menu products, but does their

own local store marketing.

The only unique menu items

was a beef sausage muffin

with egg, BBQ sauce, melted

cheese, and/or bacon

(Australian-style).

QSR Fast Food


QSR Fast Food

Snag Stand Haute Dogs

Artisan hand crafted sausages using lean low fat meats, all natural

casings, and gluten free with no artificial colors or flavors. They

use Australia’s most respected and awarded artisan butchers:

Rodriguez Bros • AC Butchery • Black Forest Smokehouse.

They represent quality products. Diverse Menu includes chili

cheese fries, 100% Tasmanian Russet Potatoes, and beer

battered onion rings

Food Technical ConsultingPhoto by: liveblissful.wordpress.com


Le Wrap

QRS Fast Food

Le Wrap sets high standards for

healthy wrap category in

Australia. They sell a wide range

of high quality wraps made fresh-

to-order and salad bowl products


QSR Fast Food

Grill’d

Grilled serves a variety of buns, beef burgers, chicken burgers,

lam burgers, veggie burgers, steak sandwiches, chips and sides,

sliders, and salads. This was a very classy fast casual restaurant

that uses Australian born and bred grass feed beef and lamb –

free of hormones and antibiotics.


Killa Burger Grill

Serves 3 sizes burger, but is know of its 30 cm wide Killa Burger. In addition, they sell pork ribs, beef, chicken, and lamb burgers – and wraps –as well as some salads, fries, cole slaw, and pasta squid. Desserts are soft serve ice cream, churros, and fried ice cream. The Killa Burger competition is the destination point driver – must eat the mega burger within a preset time limit.

QSR Fast Food


QSR Fast Food

Mad Mex

Photo by: http://trish-eats.blogspot.comFood Technical Consulting


El Jannal Charcoal Chicken & Lebanese

Cuisine

"Their specialty is marinated

chargrilled chicken. Using

their own secret recipe,

owners Lina and Chahine

Azzi grill dozens of chickens

daily on the rotisserie at the

back of the shop, before

serving them either whole or

in Lebanese-style sandwiches

with salads, garlic sauce and

pickles.“

QSR Fast Food


QSR Fast Food

Guzman y Gomez

» Sells wide variety of high quality Burritos, Fajitas

» Tacos, Nachos, Fresh Salads, and Quesadillas

Photo by: 2303hamilton.wordpress.comFood Technical Consulting


Nando’s

Nando’s serves flame-grilled chicken

and represents a formidable

challenge the Oporto menu. Strong

focus on Peri-Peri sauce flavors (4)

and the Portuguese cultural heritage

QSR Fast Food


QSR Fast Food

Lok Lok Dumpling Bar

Photo by: chryshijing.blogspot.comFood Technical Consulting


Bon Pollo

Sells Charcoal Chicken with a

wide range of wraps, BBQ

skewer plates, sides, and

other platters. Wraps reflect

Middle Eastern and

Mediterranean taste

preferences

QSR Fast Food


QSR Fast Food

Red Rooster

Photo by:Vogue.comFood Technical Consulting

Red Rooster is know for its roasted chicken served with a wide variety of premium sides. If you love perfectly roasted chicken as much as I do, you’ll love Red Rooster. Their chicken is always fresh, deliciously hand seasoned, and there’s no artificial colors, flavors, added hormones ,or MSG in the meals they prepare.


QSR Fast Food

Chargrill Charlie’s

Chargrill Charlie’s seems to be a

more formidable challenge to our

menu, and a brand that we need to

keep our eye on to prevent their

continued growth. They sell a wide

range of salads, wraps, rolls, flame

grilled chargrilled chicken products

(including Portuguese chicken,

sauces ) including Portuguese Piri

Piri sauce), chicken and beef

Kebabs, They seem to anchor their

products in the Portuguese heritage

more than Oporto. The Thai

chicken sauce also goes well with

Portuguese Chicken.


Sidhu’s

QSR Fast Food

I found Sidhu’s represents a

growing international trend and

demand for Fresh Indian Food

with exceptional taste and

quality.

Sidhu’s Sydney Australia Mall Store

http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http://www.ogalo.com.au/&ei=DXVHVNyhNcbamAWxq4LgAg&bvm=bv.77880786,d.dGY&psig=AFQjCNHj_vffGzoP1Lap2vpx-j4BQRntsA&ust=1414055558549831





QSR Fast Food

Chicken Treat

Chicken Treat started in 1976,

and has expanded to over 70

stores across Western Australia. It

is now a part of Quick Service

Restaurant Holding (QSRH)

Group. Chicken Treat is known

for it’s hand-stuffed, slow

cooked, golden, tender rotisserie

chicken. The also serve a

delicious fried chicken.

Photo by: theherald.com.au


Awafi Chargrilled Chicken

Awafi Chargrilled Chicken reflects a strong Middle Eastern menu and flavor influence - that consists of splayed Halal whole chickens cooked over a charcoal pit. Awafi also served delicious wraps, mashed potatoes, fries, and kebabs. Condiments served with the chicken included heavy garlic flavored mayo sauce with exceptional pickled vegetables.

QSR Fast Food


QSR Fast Food

Oporto Portuguese Chicken


»Best in Australia grilled Portuguese chicken

»I found Oporto Chicken to have an exceptional rich Portuguese flavor and menu heritage.AOporto®'s Founder, Antonio Cerqueira, brought much more to Australia than just his accent, when he opened his first Portuguese-style chicken restaurant on Sydney's famous Bondi Beach in 1986, stunning the locals' taste-buds and quickly gaining an ever-growing army of fans. Their chicken burgers are still known as Bondi Burgers – served with 1, 2, or 3 chicken breast fillets.

»That first splash of Antonio's now legendary, almost addictive sauce has grown into a wave of great taste that now satisfies over 13 million people a year.


OGalo

OGalo serves Portuguese

flavored chicken and burgers, It

also sells charcoal chicken with a

wide range of wraps, BBQ

skewer plates, side salads, and

other platters. Although known

for its charcoal chicken, their

menu has a strong emphasis on

burgers. Overall, the food is not

exceptional, and not worth the

time to taste, unless you have

time to waste.

QSR Fast Food






QSR Fast Food

Mr. Crackles

» The most unusual pork fast food restaurant in Sydney and the world! They served huge fried pork rinds and delicious roasted pork sandwiches! It is a hard-to-find restaurant, but worth saying that you ate there.

Food Technical ConsultingPhoto by: kermime.wordpress.com


Frango Charcoal chicken

Frango charcoal chicken serves a breast fillet cooked on a hotplate which represents the menu centerpiece of their famous Original Portuguese Burger with Piri-Piri sauce – promoting Portuguese heritage. The burger has been awarded a Top 10 Burger in Sydney.Skewered meats are also served with desserts composed of Crème Caramel, Portuguese Tarts, Crème Brule. Frango is a local competitor to be reckoned with.

QSR Fast Food






QSR Fast Food

Donut King

Donut King food was average donut fare, and

clearly not to be compared to Voodoo Donuts in

Seattle and Denver in the United States.

Food Technical ConsultingPhoto by: forever-craving.blogspot.com


QSR Fast Food

QSR

Pie Face

Made with Australian beef and a

flaky crust


Retail Fast Food

Retail Grocery Concept Tour

New IGA X-press Concept (expanded & oversized convenience

store concept). Other competitors includes Coles and

Woolworths


Food Technical

Consulting Dr. Darrel Suderman

[email protected]

www.foodbevbiz.com

Contact

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Sydney Australia Restaurant Tour