Wollongong businessman Lube Markovski has been turning plenty of heads in recent weeks driving around in a red combi van in his new Grill'd uniform and cap.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr Markovski said so many people had stopped him wanting to take his photo with the van he had to keep looking back to check it wasn't a Ferrari.
But he loves the fact the idea is already catching on that his new 150 seat restaurant is like a local burger bar supporting the local community.
When GPT's Wollongong Central expansion opens on the opposite side of Keira Street in less than three weeks one of the biggest employers will be Grill'd.
Mr Markovski is in the process of employing and training 54 staff after receiving 400 applications.
He wants to finish that this week to be ready for the big opening of Grill'd and the new shopping centre on the western side of Keira Street on October 9.
Grill'd makes healthy burgers and it is a franchise Mr Markovski has wanted to bring to Wollongong for five years.
He was just waiting for the right location.
"We are right at the front at the main entry where you walk in on the right hand side," he said.
"It is probably the most prominent position in the centre."
Mr Markovski said he was impressed with Grill'd the first time he visited it shortly after it opened in Melbourne a decade ago.
The Wollongong outlet will be the 88th in Australia and Mr Markovski is running it with his son, Allen Markovski, and son-in-law, Rob Gorgievski.
"I saw Grill'd in its early days," he said.
"I fell in love with it the the first time I tried their burgers. Everything they say about their brand being healthy is absolutely spot on."
Mr Markovski also loved the franchise's philosophy of community engagement.
"They want Grill'd to be the local burger specialist," he said.
Grill'd had a concept called Local Matters in which they collected tokens from customers to support local community groups. Each month the group with the most tokens received $300 and the other two $100, he said.
Mr Markovski encouraged small community and sporting groups to visit the Grill'd web page and fill out a simple application.
"It is all about putting back into the local community and I just love that," he said. "I not only love their brand I love their philosophy."