Find out how Chur Burger is stirring up the burger joint scene
Award-winning chef Warren Turnbull's new baby.
"I had noticed that there wasn't a good burger shop in our of Surry Hills or anywhere really," Warren Turnbull's told QSR Media. "Yes a lot of places had a great burger on there menu but they would all be charging anywhere from $20 so I wanted to create somewhere that people could go and get a burger that just wasn't a beef pattie but other options like pork belly, chargrilled chicken or spiced chickpeas, where you could get a burger, drink and a side and only spend $20."
Chur Burger, the brainchild of Turnbull, offers burgers at a relatively cheaper price but boasting of high quality ingredients and cooking each burger to order and served with a drink.
"I wanted and sourced the best ingredients for these burgers," he added. "I wanted these burgers cooked by proper chefs, cooked to order so they weren't dry and horrible, I wanted you to kick back and listen to some really cool beats and chill with a beer or glass of wine. I wanted to create something that I wanted to go to and this is how Chur burger came to fruition."
He recounted that the brand 'Chur' came from his New Zealand background. "Anything good and we say 'Chur' so it only felt right I name our burgers 'Chur.' The whole vibe I wanted to create was very laid back which again I think is a very Kiwi attitude. I didn't want to open a New Zealand burger shop in Australia but just wanted to let Australians know a Kiwi had opened a burger shop here if that makes sense. And since there are so many of us Kiwis here I thought I might have at least some customers," he quipped.
Turnbull explained that the brand is different to others by being more on trend and modern in both food, feel and look.
"Apart from logos I think most chain stores are much of a sameness," he said. "Having a licensed venue was always going to be apart of it, there is nothing better than a beer with a burger or for the ladies a glass of wine. This is what makes it attractive to our customers, the fact that not only young people or groups of friends can come enjoy a drink and burger but Mums and Dads can come in and the kids have a great meal but Mum and Dad can enjoy a beer or wine at the same time."
He also noted that using the best and freshest ingredients is also an attraction compared to some of the larger burger chains.
However, the burger market is still very challenging, Turnbull noted. "There are so many new burger places opening all the time, same concept we started which is great as it keeps us on our toes to do the best we can. There are so many good and affordable cheap eats restaurants that we need to make sure we are competitive to keep that edge."
FLYING HIGH
Chur Burger recently announced that it will be one of the first casual dining offers to open as part of T2 Departures’ transformational refresh of its food and beverage offering.
Turnbull credits David Tang from SSP Australia for the opportunity. "He was a big fan of the original Chur and when there was that chance to take it to the airport he made contact. He believed right from our first conversation almost a year ago that it would be a great fit not only for Chur but for the airport."
Adding, "T2 was always an attractive offer being the busiest terminal in Australia, the brand awareness alone was an exciting opportunity by itself. Having opened in Brisbane already and soon Melbourne it seemed the perfect fit to be somewhere in the airport."
He noted that for the rest of 2015, the brand will be dedicated its time to T2 and its first store in Melbourne. "I have no set direction in which to take Chur in the future, like my life I take each day as it comes and just enjoy the ride."
