Chebbo's Burgers, BankstownCredit: Chebbo's Burgers
Chebbo's Burger Kits
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When this year’s stay-at-home order was announced, Ali Chebbani, owner of popular burger truck Chebbo’s Burgers, didn’t panic. Instead of immediately switching to takeaway, he relished the opportunity to develop a new arm of his business that he dreamed up during the lockdown of 2020 but never got a chance to launch. The result is Chebbo’s Burger Kits, a complete package of ingredients to make his popular ‘smash’ burgers at home, that his team delivers all over Sydney. Within a few weeks, the kits were bringing in 70 per cent of the profits he was making with the food truck, with plans to expand in the very near future.
After spending the first few weeks of this year’s lockdown ironing out the process, he launched the burger kits at the end of July, with orders opening on Tuesdays. For the first month, he capped the number of orders at 130, producing 600-650 individual burgers per week.
“Due to a lack of overheads and utilities and more accurate produce orders, I’ve been able to keep a very close eye on profit margins and we’ve been doing really well,” Chebbani says. “Overall, we’re making more per burger [compared to the burger truck] due to the lack of overheads.”
Now that he’s ironed out the kinks in the process, he’s ready to expand. “We're aiming to fulfil around 300 to 400 orders per week. That’s a sustainable amount that will allow us to put care into each kit, while still topping our weekly burger truck sales.”
The success of the kits is partly due to the groundwork Chebbani did in last year’s lockdown. He started posting burger tutorials on TikTok for his classic smash burger and other creative editions - his social following skyrocketed; he now has 643,000 followers with fans all over the world. The smash burger, a cheeseburger style that originated in the US, consists of pressing the patty onto the hot grill to maximise the caramelisation from the Maillard reaction and create a flavourful crust. “People didn’t have much to do in lockdown, so it was the perfect recipe for success.” Fans would attempt to make his recipes and he'd repost them, with the best winning a prize.
Chebbo's Burgers, Bankstown Credit: Chebbo's Burgers
Chebbo's Burger Kits
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Chebbo's Burgers, Bankstown Credit: Chebbo's Burgers
Chebbo's Burger Kits
That’s when Chebbani got the idea for the kits. "My DMs were full of people asking where to get certain ingredients,” he says. “It makes a big difference when you can get the right kind of buns, and the special sauces – I wanted to help people take their burgers to the next level.”
Since the start of this lockdown, he’s picked up 50,000 new followers. “Growth on Instagram has been the most interesting,” says Chebbani. "It’s only been a few hundred new followers but I know that they’re all organic – as they [found me] through story posts of customers making the kits.”
Along with opening orders on Saturdays as well as Tuesdays, Chebbani has added a fried onion burger to the menu and wants to offer novelty flavours once a week or fortnight. “I want people to be able to cook the burgers I make on TikTok, that are too logistically hard to present,” he says. A recent example is the Polynesian burger, with a beef patty, cheese, corned beef, mustard, mayo, sweet potato, red onion and lettuce.
The burger kits have allowed him to reach a wider audience, too. Chebbani delivers within a 25km radius from his Punchbowl headquarters, and will go as far as 40km to the west. “We’ve delivered a fair few to Penrith, and to the north as well. It’s nice to see that people who may not have had access to the food truck [which is based in Roselands] are now ordering the kits.” It’s also meant that Chebbani has been able to hire mates who have lost work. “A lot of my friends are tradies, or are in industries that have been shut down. It’s been a great way to help them out and give them a sense of security."
Chebbani has no plans to stop the burger kits when lockdown lifts. “I want to be able to offer them every day, for birthdays and events.” And the truck? "I’m confident the truck will be as good as ever. People have missed out for so long.” As fun as it is to recreate it at home, there’s nothing quite as good as eating your favourite burger without the washing up.
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The NSW Government via Destination NSW is sharing a series of NSW Success Stories – businesses of all types that have adapted their offerings to face the current environment and continue serving their community with a fresh approach and shining success. These innovative initiatives are nothing short of inspiring.
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The Fall Guy Credit: Universal & UPI Media
The Fall Guy in Sydney with a spectacular Glebe Island Silo Stunt
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Action-comedy film The Fall Guy explodes onto Australian screens on 24 April, and along with Hollywood superstars Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, Sydney also plays a starring role. But the city isn’t just a backdrop to many of the action-packed scenes in the film, it also offers real-life action experiences to get your heart pumping. Here’s our guide to high-octane experiences in Sydney.
On-the-water adrenaline
Just like Ryan Gosling blasting around Sydney Harbour in a high-speed boat chase, you too can feel the wind in your hair, the sea spray on your face and your heart in your mouth on an Oz Jet Boating experience. These bright red, shark-faced jetboats fish-tail, spin and slide under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, past Dawes Point Park (where we meet Jean Claude the kelpie in the film) and the iconic Sydney Opera House, leaving you breathless and somewhat damp. Turn it down a notch with a two-, three- or five-day course from EastSail, with classes on the calm shores of Rushcutters Bay, or go five-star by hiring your very own superyacht from the fleet at Sydney Harbour Luxe Charters – Ghost II was featured in the film.
Get locked in an escape room
A bolted door, a countdown clock and a series of fiendish puzzles – outsmart the bad guys and challenge your friends in one of Sydney’s best escape rooms. Award-winning The Cipher Room, with locations in Newtown and St Peters, offers immersive, expertly designed rooms. Choose from a film noir-style hotel, a mysterious abandoned toy shop or a dystopian French bunker. Entermission Sydney has virtual-reality rooms, with themes like Alice in Wonderland, a pirate ship or space station. While not strictly an escape room, the one-of-a-kind Hijinx Hotel is a fun escape-like challenge set inside a quirky 15-room hotel.
Hickson Road Reserve, Dawes Point Credit: Destination NSW
Friends walking along Sydney Harbour in the morning.
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Hickson Road Reserve, Dawes Point Credit: Destination NSW
Friends walking along Sydney Harbour in the morning.
Oz Jet Boating, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Experience the incredible speed of the red shark boats as they blast across Sydney harbour at high speed with Oz Jet Boating.
#feelnewsydney
Oz Jet Boating, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Experience the incredible speed of the red shark boats as they blast across Sydney harbour at high speed with Oz Jet Boating.
Find your need for speed
It’s not an action movie without a car chase, and while you can’t speed through the CBD streets like Ryan Gosling and Jean Claude, you can still challenge your friends to race via go kart at Hyper Karting Moore Park. At the 410-metre indoor track, the electric cars offer plenty of exhilarating straights and corners, with a high-speed function to help you overtake your mates. True petrol heads should make a pitstop at Luddenham Raceway in southwest Sydney, where the go karts are fuelled and the 600m outdoor pro circuit offers 12 high-speed corners and even nighttime drives. Want to do the real thing? Trackschool has half-day passenger or driving experiences in a Porsche 911 Carrera also at the raceway.
Have an adventure up high
A high-stakes, sky-high chopper scene is an action flick essential; recreate the experience (minus the stress) on a flight with Sydney HeliTours. The 20- or 30-minute tours take in jaw-dropping views of harbour icons like the Sydney Opera House, Taronga Zoo, Bondi Beach and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Or live out your Hollywood star dreams onboard the luxury Sydney Seaplanes. If free-falling from the sky like Ryan Gosling does jumping from a multi-story building is the heart race you crave, get the thrills without the spills at iFly Downunder: fully accessible, all-ages indoor skydiving that will make you feel like a superhero. Or take a day trip to the Blue Mountains for a ride on Scenic World’s 270m-high glass-cased Beyond Skyway for that soaring feeling while safely enclosed in a cable car.
Luddenham Raceway, Luddenham Credit: Destination NSW
Track Day at Luddenham Raceway Motorsport Park, Luddenham.
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Luddenham Raceway, Luddenham Credit: Destination NSW
Track Day at Luddenham Raceway Motorsport Park, Luddenham.
Sydney Seaplanes, Rose Bay Credit: Destination NSW
Couple ready to enjoy a Sydney Seaplanes flight from Rose Bay, Sydney.
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Sydney Seaplanes, Rose Bay Credit: Destination NSW
Couple ready to enjoy a Sydney Seaplanes flight from Rose Bay, Sydney.
Scale walls and cliffs
Action heroes need to be agile and spider-like; flex your skills scaling rock walls at one of Sydney’s top indoor rock-climbing centres. Climb Fit in St Leonards has beginner and high-tech climbs using augmented reality, while Ledge is a smaller centre in Camperdown perfect for beginners, and BlocHaus in Marrickville focuses solely on bouldering. If you prefer to climb surrounded by waterfalls and forests, make the extra leap to the Blue Mountains, and challenge yourself on an abseil or rock-climb under the expert guidance of the Blue Mountains Adventure Company.
Spots to refuel
After all that adventuring, you’re going to need a spot to refuel and cheers to a big day. Make it a meal with a view at Aster Bar on top of the InterContinental Sydney – with uninterrupted views of the harbour. The rooftop bar featured in the film is the Ivy – which is a local favourite for big nights out. Partake in Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt’s love for spicy margaritas at Centro 86, a new underground tequila bar in the CBD, or taste award-winning cocktails at Dean and Nancy on 22. Finish up with a feast at one of the restaurants located around Jones Bay Wharf (you’ll spot this area in the film as Ryan Gosling hides on his boat from the bad guys) or snack in the late-night dining havens in Chinatown: try Japanese izakaya Nakano Darling, xiao long bao from Nanjing Dumpling or Mamak’s legendary roti.
Rest your head
Even heroes need their beauty sleep. Rest up like an A-lister at the Kimpton Margot, a recently opened CBD hotel with Art Deco touches, and featured in the movie (ask Kevin for the fruit plate). Compact yet comfortable, the Little National Hotel is located in the heart of the city near Wynyard (also a major filming locale for The Fall Guy). And for a boutique hotel suitable for everyone from film stars to stunt crew, stay in the Ace Hotel in Surry Hills, with unique in-room features like guitars, record players and locally made custom robes.
Sydney Adventure Tours, Katoomba Credit: Destination NSW
Sydney Adventure Tours offers private tours to the Blue Mountains. With an experienced tour guide, take a bushwalk through nature and experience the rainforests.
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Sydney Adventure Tours, Katoomba Credit: Destination NSW
Sydney Adventure Tours offers private tours to the Blue Mountains. With an experienced tour guide, take a bushwalk through nature and experience the rainforests.
Little National Hotel, Sydney Credit: Little National Hotel
The rooftop lounge at the Little National, in Wynyard in Sydney.
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Little National Hotel, Sydney Credit: Little National Hotel
The rooftop lounge at the Little National, in Wynyard in Sydney.