Working as a shockcreter in underground tunnels, Sarah Steen would think about what she wanted to do next on the long drives to and from Sydney.
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"I enjoy cooking and creating new things, and cooking everything from scratch," she said.
"Once I've got an idea in my head, there's no backing down."
In just nine months this led Ms Steen to opening Dirty Fries in Lake Illawarra on Queen Street.
The restaurant keeps it simple with a singular focus on loaded fries with various toppings, however what sets it apart from many other fast food joints is that Ms Steen makes most of the menu items from scratch.
"For my pulled pork I do that slow cooked every night for 12 hours."
In addition to the classic loaded fries toppings of bacon and cheese, Dirty Fries offers a few different takes on the meal, with steak and prawns as options, as well as a variety of house-made sauces such as honey garlic and lemon mayo.
The dedication to house-made dishes also extends to the drinks, with Ms Steen making the ice cream for thickshakes herself with real ingredients like strawberries.
Since opening in early 2022, Ms Steen says she is already seeing dedicated, regular customers returning.
"The feedback has just been awesome," she said. "That feeling that people enjoy your cooking and that you know that it's your cooking, it's not brought it from somewhere, processed and with additives added in, is great."
The dishes are available for takeaway and eat in and Ms Steen said she hopes to one day soon expand to multiple locations.
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