Latest news with #Burgur
Perth Now
15-07-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
One restaurant, 15 names: the ghost kitchens confusing Aussie diners
A single shopfront that advertises itself as a burger joint is actually home to up to 15 restaurants. The restaurant Burgur, based in Melbourne's Berwick, appears to be one of the more extreme cases of the 'ghost kitchen' phenomenon, where businesses operate primarily through delivery apps rather than public shopfronts. Listings on Uber Eats show the address — 44 High St — is linked to at least 15 restaurants, offering everything from Mexican and burgers to chicken and ice cream. On Google Maps, the location appears to be home to a single restaurant called Burgur. But on delivery apps, it hosts a long list of names: Mad Mexican, MAD TACO, BurgerFI, IN OUT BUNS, GOLD BUNS, Milky Bun, CHICKEN, WING WING, MELT SHOP, Milky Scoop, Ronys, Wrap'd, Mr. Chips Man and American Fri. Many of the menus are nearly identical, often using the same photos but with different prices for the same items. At least 15 food brands share the same address on Uber Eats in Berwick, Victoria. Credit: Uber Eats The food items are similar, but prices and delivery fees vary. Credit: Uber Eats Some locals hoping to try something new have been frustrated, and the phenomenon has sparked heated discussion online more generally about ghost kitchens. 'Ghost kitchens have gone too far,' one Reddit user posted. 'Ghost kitchens have existed for a long time on all food delivery platforms,' a comment replied. Ghost kitchens have grown in number over the past few years, especially during the COVID-19 lockdowns. One person shared that they were caught out three times at another restaurant, before realising they'd been ordering from the same place each time. 'Ordered one of the worst burgers of my life. 'Won't buy from them again' I thought. Ordered from what I thought was a different burger joint a week or so later. Then watched as the driver collects from the same damn place (fool me once),' they said. 'Later had some terrible, tasteless, watery Indian food. Next time I ordered from what I thought was a different joint. Watched in dismay as the driver picks up at the same place, which was as terrible as the first (fool me twice). 'Once again ordered from what I thought was yet a different Indian place. The cry of pain when I see the driver stopping out the front of the first one (fool me thrice).' They said they've since stopped using Uber Eats altogether. Another person joked: 'We should all buy frozen meals from ALDI and open ghost kitchens.' Some Reddit users reported submitting complaints about the practice, but said they saw no changes. Uber Eats said the 14 virtual brands are legitimate and compliant businesses. Credit: Getty Images Uber Eats told the 14 virtual brands operating from 44 High St are legitimate and compliant businesses. 'A virtual restaurant allows chefs and business owners to utilise the space they already have in their kitchens, to try cooking new cuisines and reach new customers with online-only brands,' a spokesperson said. 'Uber Eats gives restaurants across Australia the flexibility to choose how they partner with us, while continuing to meet our standard requirements and community guidelines.' University of Sydney corporate law and insolvency professor Jason Harris said the practice does not breach Australian Consumer Law. 'A company can operate multiple businesses with multiple brands,' he told 'All the different toothpaste brands are owned by the same company.' has reached out to Burgur for comment.
New York Post
03-07-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Burger shop revealed as ghost kitchen for 17 restaurants on Uber Eats
A single shopfront in Melbourne's outer suburbs serves food for 17 different restaurants being advertised on delivery apps. An eagle-eyed customer revealed in a Reddit post that the 'Burgur' venue on Berwick's main drag shared the same address as more than a dozen other offerings on Uber Eats. Advertisement Some of those delivery-only shops have names which appear similar to established brands such as 'Shack Shake', 'IN OUT BUNS', 'Mad Taco' and 'Mad Mexican'. 5 Street-level view of a Melbourne storefront, 'Burgur,' which houses 17 virtual restaurants. Google Maps Others virtual restaurants have titles some Reddit users suggested might have been created by AI, including 'CHICKEN', 'Mr. Chips Man' and simply 'Burrito'. Many of the businesses sell similar fare – variations of burgers, Mexican, ice cream, shakes and loaded fries. Advertisement One local was confused about where their food was coming from after trying to attend one of the businesses, Melt Shop, only to find that the address led them to Burgur. 5 'MELT SHOP' is a virtual restaurant offered on Uber Eats. UberEats 'We found a great shop via Uber but we wanted to check the store but it says pick-up unavailable,' she wrote on a Berwick community Facebook page. 'Does anyone know where the Melt Shop is? Advertisement 'It's saying on Uber 44 High Street Berwick shop 10 but we went there it was a Burgur store and it doesn't (have) what's on the menu compared to Uber MELT Shop.' When called the store on Thursday, a staffer confirmed the shop had one kitchen and 'lots of names' on Uber. 5 Many of the businesses sell similar fare – variations of burgers, Mexican, ice cream, shakes and loaded fries. Google Maps understands all of the businesses operating out of the High St venue are legitimate and compliant. Advertisement Uber, in a statement, said it 'gives restaurants across Australia the flexibility to choose how they partner with us, while continuing to meet our standard requirements and community guidelines'. 'A virtual restaurant allows chefs and business owners to utilize the space they already have in their kitchens, to try cooking new cuisines and reach new customers with online-only brands,' a spokesperson said. Virtual restaurants, sometimes called ghost kitchens, have become common on online food delivery websites, and some outperform physical restaurants. 5 'Mr. Chips Man' is another virtual restaurant offering on Uber Eats. UberEats Dr Andy Lee, from the University of Queensland's School of Business, said types of ghost kitchens varied – some were rented out and others were shared by multiple businesses. He said the rising reliance on online businesses was supercharged during the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to a growth in delivery-only restaurants. The model offers the ability to set up a business with less staffing and fit-out costs, and also the ability to completely change a menu or branding with ease, Dr Lee said. 'If they start their business with Italian food, but the demand is not that good, then they can change to, let's say, French cuisine if they can do it,' he said. Advertisement 'But in the traditional restaurant, they cannot do it easily because they have to change their interior and they have to do the different marketing strategy.' 5 Virtual restaurants, sometimes called ghost kitchens, have become common on online food delivery websites, and some outperform physical restaurants. Google Maps Dr Lee said one kitchen operating under multiple names online could also create an 'illusion' that a customer was choosing between different shops. 'We just believe the food that we got from 'A' shop is going to be different from 'B' shop,' he said. Advertisement 'We just don't know. There's so much anonymity behind the dish.' One Reddit user spoke about a seperate operation in the suburb of Mulgrave, saying they had stopped using Uber Eats after they 'got stung' several times. 'Ordered one of the worst burgers of my life. 'Won't buy from them again' I thought,' they said. 'Ordered from what I thought was a different burger joint a week or so later. Then watched as the driver collects from the same damn place.'
News.com.au
03-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Melbourne burger shop serves food for more than a dozen online restaurants
A single shopfront in Melbourne's outer suburbs serves food for 17 different restaurants being advertised on delivery apps. An eagle-eyed customer revealed in a Reddit post that the 'Burgur' venue on Berwick's main drag shared the same address as more than a dozen other offerings on Uber Eats. Some of those delivery-only shops have names which appear similar to established brands such as 'Shack Shake', 'IN OUT BUNS', 'Mad Taco' and 'Mad Mexican'. Others virtual restaurants have titles some Reddit users suggested might have been created by AI, including 'CHICKEN', 'Mr Chips Man' and simply 'Burrito'. Many of the businesses sell similar fare – variations of burgers, Mexican, ice cream, shakes and loaded fries. One local was confused about where their food was coming from after trying to attend one of the businesses, Melt Shop, only to find that the address led them to Burgur. 'We found a great shop via Uber but we wanted to check the store but it says pick-up unavailable,' she wrote on a Berwick community Facebook page. 'Does anyone know where the Melt Shop is? 'It's saying on Uber 44 High Street Berwick shop 10 but we went there it was a Burgur store and it doesn't (have) what's on the menu compared to Uber MELT Shop.' When called the store on Thursday, a staffer confirmed the shop had one kitchen and 'lots of names' on Uber. understands all of the businesses operating out of the High St venue are legitimate and compliant. Uber, in a statement, said it 'gives restaurants across Australia the flexibility to choose how they partner with us, while continuing to meet our standard requirements and community guidelines'. 'A virtual restaurant allows chefs and business owners to utilise the space they already have in their kitchens, to try cooking new cuisines and reach new customers with online-only brands,' a spokesperson said. Virtual restaurants, sometimes called ghost kitchens, have become common on online food delivery websites, and some outperform physical restaurants. Dr Andy Lee, from the University of Queensland's School of Business, said types of ghost kitchens varied – some were rented out and others were shared by multiple businesses. He said the rising reliance on online businesses was supercharged during the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to a growth in delivery-only restaurants. The model offers the ability to set up a business with less staffing and fit-out costs, and also the ability to completely change a menu or branding with ease, Dr Lee said. 'If they start their business with Italian food, but the demand is not that good, then they can change to, let's say, French cuisine if they can do it,' he said. 'But in the traditional restaurant, they cannot do it easily because they have to change their interior and they have to do the different marketing strategy.' Dr Lee said one kitchen operating under multiple names online could also create an 'illusion' that a customer was choosing between different shops. 'We just believe the food that we got from 'A' shop is going to be different from 'B' shop,' he said. 'We just don't know. There's so much anonymity behind the dish.' One Reddit user spoke about a seperate operation in the suburb of Mulgrave, saying they had stopped using Uber Eats after they 'got stung' several times. 'Ordered one of the worst burgers of my life. 'Won't buy from them again' I thought,' they said. 'Ordered from what I thought was a different burger joint a week or so later. Then watched as the driver collects from the same damn place.'
