By Vanessa Cavasinni, editor Australian Hotelier
The teams behind Chippendale Hotel and Cheekyburger have teamed up, with the American-style burger joint taking over the kitchen and creative aspects of the Sydney hotel.
Publican Brett Strauss recognised the need to do something different with the food options at the Chippendale Hotel, and a propitious meeting with Cheekyburger’s Sam Marsh led to an innovative collaboration between the two businesses – Cheekyburger has now officially taken over the kitchen of the pub, with an extensive menu of American-style burgers and chicken wings.
“I think there’s a big move away from that traditional pub fare, and I thought that to survive we’re going to have to pull up our socks and be a bit more creative. The old days of schnitzels and steaks are gone,” suggests Strauss.
With the collaboration came a revamp of the kitchen and courtyard to reflect the Cheekyburger brand. A new cool room and grill were added to the kitchen, new furniture was purchased and a new artwork was painted on the courtyard wall to reflect the fresh, new approach the Chippendale Hotel is taking with this partnership.
Along with the need for an updated menu, Strauss suggests that the decision to collaborate with Cheekyburger was also necessitated by the amendment to the Smoke-free Environment Act 2000, banning smoking from outdoor dining areas.
“We discussed this and said ‘Do we go down the avenue of having a part of the courtyard for smoking and part for not?’ and we just thought, you know what, we’ve got to get with the times here, and move away from the smoking road. And the reaction has actually been really good. It’s been phenomenal.
“It’s been a great thing for us, particularly, because people want to eat and feel comfortable in an environment where they don’t have to worry about smoke or even contemplate smoking at all.”
It’s still early days for Cheekyburger at the Chippendale, but so far the menu has proven to be very popular, with the kitchen selling out of burgers the first three nights in a row.