More than just your average burger shop, Grill’d Albury is set to open in early May
The latest addition to the ‘East End’ of Dean St, Grill’d is a national franchise coming to the border. We caught up with franchise co-owner Carly Brown to get the scoop on the new venture.
AlburyCBD: For those who don’t know, what is Grill’d?
Carly: People will call us a burger shop, but making burgers doesn’t make us the same as fast food. We are not their alternative. We are the solution. Guilt-free, healthy burgers you don’t need a hangover for.
AlburyCBD: What prompted you to open Grill’d?
Carly: It was the first place we dined out with whilst on holiday, and we believe in the product and the vision of Grill’d.
We love their product range which doesn’t exclude a single person. Grill’d’s focus on sustainability perhaps isn’t widely known, but we have seen first-hand the genuinely remarkable work going on with actions, not words.
Finally, recent announcements with the Australian Institute of Sport and their endorsement of the brand are huge for Grill’d and testament that all our products are 100% natural, made with zero artificial colours, flavours, and preservatives.
AlburyCBD: What are you most looking forward to about the new venture and its Dean St location?
Carly: We love the way Grill’d allow us the opportunity to run a program like Local Matters here in Albury, where three local not-for-profit groups get the chance each month to shine a light on the good they are doing.
Our customers make a decision after each purchase on which group matters most to them, and in return, we give back with monthly injections of cash into each group, with $500 going back to the groups each month.
The [Dean St] location is simply perfect. The ‘East End’ as it’s known in the CBD, has really taken off over the last 12 months with some great businesses around and obviously, we are looking forward to the cinema getting back to all its glory. I love that each business offers something different, and we all play a part. Ultimately for our location, we want to provide a really comfortable and relaxed vibe with great food, music and a servery that is alive!
AlburyCBD: What has the process been like to get set up with the franchise and open the store?
Carly: Dealing with an older site and its historical issues had its challenges. The staffing situation was a huge hurdle, with around 50 staff being hired over the last two months.
We were so happy though with the community’s excitement around Grill’d and the desire of people who just love the brand that wanted to be involved from day one.
AlburyCBD: When are you opening, and what will the hours/days of operation be?
Carly: We’re opening Friday 6 May and you can expect the restaurant to be open seven days per week from 11am – 9pm.
Carly: COVID-19 has given us all sorts of dilemmas along the way, delays with materials and training being the constant. We love the way all restaurants we have worked with are resilient and always find a way, whilst we are sure there will be more hurdles. The Grill’d way is to keep moving forward, and that’s exactly what we will do.
AlburyCBD: What’s one thing you want people to know about Grill’d?
Carly: The corner of Dean St and David St needed a facelift, which you will see. We want the restaurant to serve all food tribes and bring families back into the location. We are already prominently supporting local sporting groups and not-for-profits and have so much more planned for the local community.
Lastly, if you haven’t tried Grill’d (we know many of you haven’t), make an effort to come into the restaurant and experience everything we have to offer.
You can find Grill’d Albury on the corner of Dean & David Sts. in AlburyCBD.
Questions and answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Produced by Rhiannon Veness in partnership with AlburyCBD
