Soul Burger set to open first ‘Express’ store in Parramatta

It recently reopened its Newtown outlet as a ‘Bar and Dine’ restaurant.

Soul Burger is coming back to Parramatta with the upcoming launch of its first Express Store.

The location will be the first fully-franchised location inside the WSU Parramatta Engineering Hub and feature a coffees and a breakfast menu alongside its core offering.

“I hate the perception that plant-based food is just for hipsters and not relevant to the general public in Western Sydney. There are so many people in Western Sydney that would love to have more plant-based options without compromise, and that’s the name of our game. Coming back to Parra is amazing, moving away from the Tramline construction was the right call in hindsight,” founder Amit Tewari said in a media release.

Earlier, the plant-based burger chain reopened its Newtown location, now located at 190 King Street as a Bar and Dine concept store.

The restaurant features an extended menu showcasing vegan wines, signature cocktails, craft beers, new sides, desserts and mega-shakes labelled “SB Shakes”.

“We wanted our interior to really invite people to sit and dine with us. We’ve extended the menu to make it a plant-based oasis for all the flexitarian, vegetarian, vegan and plant-positive people in Sydney, featuring seriously amazing desserts and cocktails,” Tewari said.

Soul Burger closed its old Parramatta location due to the Church Street Tram Line Construction Project, and recently closed its Newtown location, previously on 229A King Street, citing “unsustainable rents.”

“Our previous rent was unsustainable and we didn’t need all that space. Like most restaurants we’re hitting 30% pickup and delivery numbers, so we’d have situations where the store was half empty but the kitchen was pumping pickup and delivery orders. It made more sense to invest in a smaller dining space that was fitted beautifully, and create a really cosy ambience,” Tewari explained.