I went to check out the Burger Project yesterday. I've been following the online buzz before the launch, and while I went to check it out the night it opened, the queue was too much for me, so I returned yesterday for lunch.
I have to admit, the restaurant wasn't what I thought it was going to be, which got me thinking about the importance of branding, and how branding effects every aspect of your business.
The Burger Project is a rather interesting case. Here, we have a concept that is being launched by one of the most famous Australian chefs, Neil Perry. Perry already has a very strong brand, that he has applied across his Rockpool restaurants and that has been the foundation of his other projects. His brand is all about fresh, sustainable products, clean flavours and a complete dining experience that incorporates notes of indulgence and extravagance without being pretentious.
Some of those elements were carried into the branding of The Burger Project, which was being promoted heavily before the launch. An official press release allowed the marketing team to control the story they wanted to tell - being a project that Perry was leading, they were guaranteed full press - and a clean website and blanket social media campaign allowed the message of the project to reach the customers well before the first chips hit the fryer.
The message was concise - provenance, community and sustainability. The logo is clean and minimal, the colour palate simple and inoffensive. The image of rolling hills with "36-month grass-fed Cape Grim" cows creates an overall feeling of fresh produce, clean air and simple flavours.
In my opinion, however, the restaurant doesn't match the brand.
Grant Cheyne, the architect responsible for the numerous
Rockpool locations, was brought on here to design the restaurant. He
has carried on the minimalistic, clean palate of the concept, keeping the walls
a neutral concrete, the lighting slightly industrial, the furnishings an off-white. The layout is practical and appealing. The most interesting feature is the expansive,
exposed kitchen.
The choice to have an exposed kitchen is a tricky one.
Dumpling houses the world over have shown the appeal of watching an expert
create a full tray of pleated dumplings in seconds. I know from my own
experience it certainly increases the appetite. It’s uncertain whether or not watching the “36-month
grass-fed Cape Grim” going through a mincer would have a similar effect. Yet, there is something communal about watching someone grill your lunch, invoking memories of standing around the BBQ with your paper plate in hand.
Odd then, that most of the real cooking action seemed to be going
on beyond line of sight. The first
thing we noticed when looking in the large glass windows was a sink and slightly damp dishrag. As my dining companion
pointed out, seeing dirty utensils being washed off while waiting in line will
probably put people off their food. The kitchen was impressive, but the excitement was
elsewhere, leaving me to wonder why a glass walled kitchen was necessary if the food preparation was not for public eyes.
As a second disappointment, the service counter and prep stations were very typically 'fast food chain'. Efficient, friendly staff wearing matching t-shirts and trucker caps stood at computerised registers side by side. We were handed an electronic bistro buzzer to let us know when our food was ready, which came out on plastic trays. It
didn't feel like a restaurant that prides itself on provenance, community and
sustainability. It felt, dare I say it, like a McDonalds.
Nowhere is the image of the rolling hills and coastal farms
carried in to the physical space. The menu board above the counter takes influence from the old corner
burger joint chalk board, but it clashes with the sleek, minimal logo that
adorns the windows and milkshake cups. While the design of the interior is
interesting and attractive, it doesn’t match in my mind the restaurant
envisioned after visiting the website, nor does it match an American style burger joint. There are a lot of elements at work here - together they confuse, rather than enhance, the experience.
The food was good for the price. The ingredients were fresh, and tasted wholesome, though in my own opinion they were very safe. There wasn't a lot of experimentation going on, and while there was less tampering with the basic ingredients than you experience at other global fast food outlets, there were also some teething problems (large portions of fresh coleslaw on bread will inevitably lead to very soggy bread in very little time). I did wonder about Perry's insistence that the Burger Project was about recreating the burgers he remembers - unless he grew up in an American 50s diner the menu wasn't akin to anything I recall.
The logo is a little... odd. It works very well on the website. It also matches very well with the World Square surrounds. What it doesn't look like, is a representation of what is inside the restaurant. To me, and to my dining partner, it looks like it would be more suitable on the side of a fashion show runway than a sustainable burger joint.
Which brings me to my last point - a large part of the branding focuses on the 'community' aspect. "Giving back is paramount", the website states, and on each tray protector patrons are assured the Burger Project will support the local community by donating a portion of proceeds to community projects and charities. I find off-putting, however, that nowhere are the specific projects or charities mentioned, nor is the method of contribution explained. It is early days, true, but I for one find it hard to remove my sceptics hat when a business who's branding involves community support does not go into specifics. An individual can be discreet about their charitable activities, an organisation cannot.
There is, of course, a chance that this particular branding exercise was merely lost on me. The majority of customers were businessmen on their lunch break, many of them discussing the future potential of the venture, comparing the burger to other fast food staples, or instagraming the food to share with their friends. Perhaps, the combination of minimalist and fast food interior with sustainable food is exactly what this demographic will be attracted to. Only time will tell, and even then, there is a possibility the attraction to the branding will be skewed by the celebrity of Perry himself.
In my opinion, the Burger Project message is lost in the delivery. I'm not 100% clear on what I am participating in, and my initial curiosity was not piqued enough to want me to engage again. Which is a shame - if the restaurant had matched the brand, I would have been much more enthusiastic. For me, it's a slightly confused burger joint - just, dare I say it, 'a little bit fancy'.
The Burger Project is in the World Square Shopping Centre - 644/680 George Street, Sydney. Opening hours: 11am-3pm & 5pm-10pm
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