Latest news with #Grill'd
West Australian
09-08-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Zeus Street Greek joins the rise of ‘elevated' Aussie fast food chains
Australian fast food chains are quickly establishing themselves in a market that has traditionally been dominated by massive American competitors. Now, a clever new trend may be the key to unlocking an even greater market share for homegrown businesses. Zeus Street Greek is a fast-growing Aussie food chain that specialises in both new and classic ways of making Greek-inspired dishes. In a bold move to expand its reach, Zeus has partnered with Woolworths to introduce a new range of products for consumers who want to recreate the store's signature flavours in their own homes. Zeus CEO Ramon Castillo said the kits would allow Aussies to recreate some of the most popular flavours available inside the restaurants. 'The products that we've developed for Woolworths have been inspired by our menu here in-store,' Mr Castillo said. 'We've got some make-at-home products like pilaf rice, there's some sauces and there's actually products that are almost directly (the same) as what we serve here in our store.' The range includes 20 news products that will only be available in Woolworths stores, including 'signature rubs, sauces and DIY pita kits.' The $80m chain boasts 40 stores nationwide, which it has gradually accumulated in the 11 years since the first Zeus store opened its doors in Drummoyne in June 2014. Not yet satisfied, Mr Castillo said he was planning to introduce another 100 stores across the nation in the next five years. 'We have got a strong presence here in NSW, and we've seen some growth in Victoria and Queensland,' said Mr Castillo. 'We've opened our second location in Western Australia and the demand has just been amazing, so we are going to continue to look at the west coast and continue to build down in Victoria and up in Queensland.' 'We're really looking forward to a full national presence over the next five years on the journey to 140 locations.' Zeus isn't the only company testing the waters of commercial grocery partnerships. Sydney-based burger chain Grill'd, which has built up one of the strongest homegrown 'Quick Service Restaurant' (QSR) empires in Australia, has just entered into a partnership with Coles. Founded in 2004, Grill'd operates 173 restaurants in Australia and is one of the country's eight fastest-growing QSR brands. From Wednesday, several varieties of Grill'd's signature burger patties have hit shelves in Coles stores around the country. The move comes as Australian brands such as Zambrero and Guzman y Gomez begin to find serious purchase in fast food market share. When it comes to the kind of area that fits the bill for a new Zeus franchise, Mr Castillo said there had to be a 'strong breakdown' of diverse demographics in the community. 'We're looking for a strong cross-section of Gen Z and families, but ultimately we know that our brand is emerging as a new style of elevated (fast food),' he said. 'There are lots of pizza shops, there are lots of Mexican and burgers, (but) there aren't a lot of Greek stores. 'So we are very proud to ultimately recognise the strength that comes from our Greek offer.' The strength of the 'Greek offer' is also part of the reason why Zeus partnered with Woolworths. 'When you think of Mexican food when you go shopping, you think of Old El Paso,' he said. 'But there's no real brand that anybody thinks of when it comes to Greek food, and we hope to change that.' Zeus is still figuring out price points and dates of sale, but eagle-eyed shoppers can expect to see the collaboration launch in the near future.
West Australian
11-06-2025
- Business
- West Australian
‘World first': Grill'd overhauls range with healthier buns in partnership with Melbourne Storm, Demons
Grill'd will be overhauling its selection of buns in all restaurants across the country in favour of healthier alternatives. In a world first, the healthy burger joint will make all of its panini and traditional buns low GI and high fibre. Made with 87 per cent less sugar than a standard brioche bun, they're intended to release energy into the body slowly, which makes the customer feeling fuller for longer. They also contain half the sugar of regular white rolls, making them a healthier alternative. To celebrate the launch of the healthier burger buns, Grill'd is partnering with the Australian Institute of Sport and the Melbourne Demons and Melbourne Storm teams to celebrate the low-GI buns. 'Nutrition is a critical part of performance,' Melbourne Storm nutritionist Georgia Walker said. 'The right foods give our players the energy to train hard, recover well, and stay on the field.' She said the new buns were an easier way to get the players to eat healthily. 'Our players train full-time, and their energy demands are huge,' she said. 'You can educate players on the right foods to eat, but if players don't enjoy the food, it's not sustainable.' Grill'd founder and managing director Simon Crowe said the company had been developing the buns for several years, and it was an extraordinary step for the Australian restaurant chain. 'Health and performance are major priorities for Grill'd as a business,' he said. 'As leaders in innovation, we've developed Hi Fibre Lo GI buns, a breakthrough in product development for a burger restaurant. 'The creation of High Fibre Low GI food is incredibly challenging to achieve in fresh product production as it is governed by strict certification conformity,' he added. 'But we have been perfecting this product innovation for a number of years, trialling many different recipes to nail the right balance of nutrition and taste. 'The result? Buns that are better for your body, without compromising on taste or quality.'
Perth Now
11-06-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Iconic burger chain overhauls bun range
Grill'd will be overhauling its selection of buns in all restaurants across the country in favour of healthier alternatives. In a world first, the healthy burger joint will make all of its panini and traditional buns low GI and high fibre. Made with 87 per cent less sugar than a standard brioche bun, they're intended to release energy into the body slowly, which makes the customer feeling fuller for longer. They also contain half the sugar of regular white rolls, making them a healthier alternative. Grill'd will be overhauling its selection of buns in all restaurants across the country in favour of healthier alternatives. Supplied Credit: Supplied To celebrate the launch of the healthier burger buns, Grill'd is partnering with the Australian Institute of Sport and the Melbourne Demons and Melbourne Storm teams to celebrate the low-GI buns. 'Nutrition is a critical part of performance,' Melbourne Storm nutritionist Georgia Walker said. 'The right foods give our players the energy to train hard, recover well, and stay on the field.' She said the new buns were an easier way to get the players to eat healthily. 'Our players train full-time, and their energy demands are huge,' she said. 'You can educate players on the right foods to eat, but if players don't enjoy the food, it's not sustainable.' The new healthier buns are world-first for a burger chain Supplied Credit: Supplied Grill'd founder and managing director Simon Crowe said the company had been developing the buns for several years, and it was an extraordinary step for the Australian restaurant chain. 'Health and performance are major priorities for Grill'd as a business,' he said. 'As leaders in innovation, we've developed Hi Fibre Lo GI buns, a breakthrough in product development for a burger restaurant. 'The creation of High Fibre Low GI food is incredibly challenging to achieve in fresh product production as it is governed by strict certification conformity,' he added. 'But we have been perfecting this product innovation for a number of years, trialling many different recipes to nail the right balance of nutrition and taste. 'The result? Buns that are better for your body, without compromising on taste or quality.'
Perth Now
02-05-2025
- Health
- Perth Now
Blind taste test decides Australia's favourite nugget
There may be an important election this week, but the results from a fierce race to be the nation's favourite nugget are in — and the winner may not be from where you'd expect. A blind taste test was conducted by The Lab in February 2025 with QSR customers comparing Hungry Jacks, McDonalds, KFC and Grill'd. According to the study, Grill'd is the runaway winner with a whopping 66 per cent of Aussies voting for Grill'd's Healthy Fried Chicken bites as their favourite nugget. Grill'd claims its chicken bites are healthier than others. '100% RSPCA approved whole chicken nuggets are the real deal. No reconstituted mush and no nasties!' it claims in its advertising. Fans of Grill'd's Healthy Fried Chicken bites were quick to flood the comments on the eatery's Instagram post, supporting the winning nugget. 'I could have these every day 🔥' one person wrote. 'I see perfection 😍' another commented. This isn't the first blind taste test that has taken the nugget-discussion by storm. In June 2024, Nectar — a branch of the US Food Systems Innovations — conducted the world's largest blind taste test and found that plant-based nuggets were the clear favourite. In its sensory analysis of five plant-based product categories — burgers, hot dogs, bacon, tenders and nuggets — the nugget was the only category in which voters decided the vegetarian alternative surpassed the taste of the meat equivalent.
